I can’t believe it’s been nearly 50 years since I stepped off the stage at the Tanglin Club in Singapore: yes, I was a vocalist in a previous life! Margaret (my aunt) and I sang there seven nights a week for almost five years. Margaret’s visa expired in 1975 and she had to return to Sydney. I stayed another year, but it wasn’t the same without her. In 1977, I decided it was also time for me to move on.

We left with much sadness but with so many beautiful memories. The Club members were like family. We knew them by name and by the songs they loved. Remember “Tie A Yellow Ribbon” and Melanie’s “Brand New Key” (that “bicycle song”)? They were pieces we often played several times in an evening. Margaret would even put on her Topol hat and beard to sing “If I Were A Rich Man”. Encores led to the inevitable “Hava Nagilah” – where everyone would pack the dance floor whether or not they could do the “Hora”! 

Our band “The Constellation” was often part of so many birthday and wedding anniversary celebrations. Waves and hellos from members greeted us every night, and we’d walk over to their tables during breaks to have a chat. How good could it get? We had David Loh on bass, Michael Png on rhythm guitar, Benson Goh on keyboards and Phillip Koh on drums. The boys were so much fun to work with. None of them read music, yet each had the talent to recognise and memorise chords and arrangements – all from cassette tapes. Margaret and I didn’t need lyric sheets either. Our songs were a part of us: words and music were as one and never forgotten. Yes, those were the days. (Sorry for the long preamble – I just couldn’t help reminiscing!)

Cut to late 2019. Carol Moses, a stalwart of Singapore’s Jewish community, was planning a reunion for February 2020. Donald Lelah in Melbourne volunteered as Comms Director, with Carol organising excursion coaches and evening entertainment. The Jewish Welfare Board helped fund the events, lunches and dinners. With so many of our loved ones in Singapore and abroad passing away, we all realised it was time to “reconnect and celebrate life and memories with the friends of our youth”, in Carol’s words. Indeed.

But there was another surprise – and one I’d have a part in. “Are you still singing?”, Carol asked. “And can you get a band together?” (All for a “Tea Dance” on the final Sunday of the Reunion.) Still singing? Band? My mind was already ticking with lists of songs. “OF COURSE!!”, I replied. (I knew the boys were still performing, just as well we’d kept in touch.) 

“Carol, I think I can get the same musicians we had at the Tanglin Club.”
“All those years ago?”
“All those years ago!”
“Then DO IT!!” 

I rang David Loh, and in typical Singaporean fashion, he said: “Can, of course can!” I had nostalgically kept our old song lists and now put together a few more – including changing the lyrics to “When I’m 64” to “We’re over 64”. I so wanted this to be our theme song, and we had three months to get everything right. The boys immediately got to work with the songs. What’s more, David booked a fully-equipped studio for a run through. What joy – despite wrong chords, wrong keys, missed cues … all to uproarious laughter! Fifteen hours of rehearsals later, we sounded as good as we did at the Tanglin Club. But Margaret … how we missed you!!

The afternoon came at last. Carol’s husband David manned the kitchen and cooking, her brother Michael set up the stage, and Lilian Isaac, events organiser, was everywhere, making sure we all had enough to eat and drink. Jeremy Moses filmed the entire event.

Well, WHAT an event it was! We played the songs that re-lived and revived our youth, our milestones, and our celebrations at the Tanglin Club. It was OUR music. No-one wanted to leave … one last song, one more request … but pack-up time eventually came.

Cut to March 2023 – those three long, difficult years since 2020. I recorded “We’re Over 64” in Sydney, and asked Jeremy if he could synchronise it to film footage he took at the Reunion. He did it so beautifully!

And so, Reunionists – and for all those who wished they were there in 2020 – here’s 3’20” of video we hope you’ll enjoy. Carol and Donald … how about another one soon??