The Road Ahead, for orchestra and chorus

The Road Ahead was written for the 2021 National Day celebrations by Evan Low and Lin Ying, its rousing and vitalizing lyrics capturing the indomitability of a country re-emerging from the Covid-19 pandemic. My arrangement thus aims to recreate all the brightness, warmth, and upbeat energy of the original song, where moments of warm intimacy rub shoulders with that of grandeur and brilliance. (Elliot Teo)

Composed by Linying and Evan Low
Arranged by Elliot Teo and Wong Lai Foon for the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and Choruses. First performed and recorded live on 13 Aug 2023 at the Esplanade Concert Hall, Singapore.

Singapore Symphony Chorus
Singapore Symphony Youth Choir
Singapore Symphony Children's Choir
Eudenice Palaruan, Choral Director
Wong Lai Foon, Choirmaster
Singapore Symphony Orchestra
Members of the Singapore National Youth Orchestra
Tianhui Ng, conductor
Lily Goh, Deaf Artist-Performer


Lyrics:

One man on an island
One drop in the sea
All it takes to set a wave in motion
Is a single word, an action
A hope that we can be
The change that we've been longing to see
For our home, our land, our family
It's all within our reach

See this island, every grain of sand
Hear this anthem, it's the voices of our friends
Come whatever on the road ahead
We did it before, and we'll do it again

When the moments turn to hours
And the day's last light is gone
Look around us always and remember
There were times we were uncertain
But we just kept walking on
It's always darkest just before the dawn

See this island, every grain of sand
Hear this anthem, it's the voices of our friends
Come whatever on the road ahead
We did it before, and we'll do it again

Our home, the home we share
Where the garden always grows toward the light
Though the road ahead is daunting
I know we're gonna be alright

See this island, every grain of sand
Hear this anthem, it's the voices of our friends
Come whatever on the road ahead
We did it before, and we'll do it again

See this island, every grain of sand
Hear this anthem, it's the voices of our friends
Come whatever on the road ahead
We did it before, and we'll do it again
We did it before, and we'll do it again



Instrumentation: 2 flutes (1 doubling on piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, bass trombone, tuba, timpani, vibraphone, glockenspiel, suspended cymbal, cymbals, harp, strings