Weekend guide: Yuletide sessions

YULETIDE SESSIONS

The Christmas Wonderland fair at Gardens By The Bay is more than just light sculptures and festival markets.

The Cassa Armonica gazebo in the venue will also host several prominent talents from the home-grown music scene.

It is quite a mixed bag of genres, too, and this weekend will see sets by indie band Take Two (pictured), soul singer Roze Kasmani and rising singer-songwriter Mars.

WHERE: Gardens by the Bay, 18, Marina Gardens Drive

MRT: Bayfront

WHEN: Until Jan 1, performances from 9pm

ADMISSION: $8 from www.christmaswonderland.sg

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ARTS

Light Up - BBB

This open call invites lighting designers, urban planners, architects, artists and students to send in proposals for innovative lighting designs for the Bras Basah and Bugis precinct's building facades and/or streetscapes. All proposals must be submitted by March 24. Winners will be announced in August at the 10th edition of the Singapore Night Festival. Open to Singaporeans and permanent residents.

INFO: www.brasbasahbugis.sg/whats-on/programmes/light-up---bbb

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BOOKS

The Big Read Meet

In this monthly event, The Straits Times' senior writer Cheong Suk Wai leads a discussion based on books reviewed for her column, The Big Read. For this edition, the book A Tiger Remembers: The Way We Were In Singapore, by Ann Wee, will be discussed.

WHERE: Possibility Room, Level 5 National Library Board, 100, Victoria Street

MRT: Bugis/City Hall

WHEN: Wed, 6.30pm - 8.30pm

ADMISSION: Free with registration

INFO: Go to www.nlb.gov.sg/readsingapore for more information on the book discussed for the month. Register at www.nlb.gov.sg/golibrary

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CONCERTS

SSO Beethoven Gala: Lan Shui - 20th SSO Season

The Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) revisits maestro Shui Lan's inaugural all-Beethoven concert in 1997 in celebration of his 20th season as the orchestra's music director.

WHERE: Esplanade Concert Hall, 1, Esplanade Drive

MRT: Esplanade/City Hall

WHEN: Jan 13, 7.30pm

ADMISSION: $28 - $102

TEL: 6348-5555

INFO: www.sistic.com.sg

A Music Voyage Around The Island

Singapore Chinese Orchestra's three conductors - music director Yeh Tsung, resident conductor Quek Ling Kiong and assistant conductor Moses Gay - will relay-conduct and perform Eric Watson's world premiere piece, Journey Around Singapore.

WHERE: Victoria Concert Hall, 9, Empress Place

MRT: City Hall/Raffles Place

WHEN: Jan 13 & 14, 8pm

ADMISSION: $21 - $74

TEL: 6348-5555

INFO: www.sistic.com.sg

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam

One of the best orchestras in the world, led by chief conductor Daniele Gatti, an Italian, presents a selection of Impressionist and Romantic symphonic works.

WHERE: Esplanade Concert Hall, 1, Esplanade Drive

MRT: Esplanade/City Hall

WHEN: Jan 23, 7.30pm

ADMISSION: $84 - $424

TEL: 6348-5555

INFO: www.sistic.com.sg

SSO Gala: Charles Dutoit: Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini

Swiss maestro Charles Dutoit returns to conduct two masterpieces by Igor Stravinsky, Funeral Song and The Firebird. Russian pianist Lukas Geniusas will join him and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra for Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.

WHERE: Esplanade Concert Hall, 1, Esplanade Drive

MRT: Esplanade/City Hall

WHEN: Feb 16, 7.30pm (pre-concert talk at 6.30pm at library@esplanade)

ADMISSION: $28 - $102

TEL: 6348-5555

INFO: www.sistic.com.sg

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DANCE

Raga Agathi

This dance-theatre production by Apsaras Arts explores contemporary issues, including prejudice and misunderstanding surrounding the plight of refugees all over the world, through music, poetry and bharatanatyam.

WHERE: Esplanade Theatre Studio, 1, Esplanade Drive

MRT: Esplanade/ City Hall

WHEN: Jan 20 & 21, 8pm

ADMISSION: $28 TEL: 6348-5555

INFO: www.sistic.com.sg

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EXHIBITIONS (MUSEUMS)

There Are Too Many Episodes Of People Coming Here...

This exhibition showcases materials by artists Charles Lim, Dennis Tan, Lucy Davis and Zai Kuning as a means to rewrite and open up new points of departure.

WHERE: NX1 Gallery, Concourse Level, NUS Museum, University Cultural Centre, 50, Kent Ridge Crescent

MRT: Clementi

WHEN: Till Jan 31, 10am - 6pm (Tue - Sat); closed on Sun & public holidays; visits on Mon by appointment for schools/faculties only

TEL: 6516-8817

ADMISSION: Free

INFO: www.museum.nus.edu.sg or www. nusmuseum.blogspot.com

Nasa - A Human Adventure

This exhibition features a collection of more than 200 historically significant artefacts from the United States and Soviet Union space programmes, as well as the story of space travel from the early dreamers and pioneers.

WHERE: ArtScience Museum, Marina Bay Sands, 10, Bayfront Avenue

MRT: Bayfront

WHEN: Till March 19, 10am - 7pm daily

ADMISSION: Standard/Singapore residents (Mon - Thu): $20/$15 (adult), $17/$12 (senior citizen/student), $12/$9 (child), $55/$40 (package of two adults & two children); standard/Singapore residents (Fri - Sun): $25/$19 (adult), $21/$16 (senior citizen/student), $15/$11 (child), $65/$50 (package of two adults & two children)

INFO: www.marinabaysands.com/ArtScienceMuseum

One Night In Wuchang: 1911 Revolution And Nanyang

View more than 100 artefacts tracing the history of the Wuchang Uprising, which marked the beginning of the 1911 Revolution that overthrew the Qing dynasty in China.

WHERE: Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall, 12, Tai Gin Road

MRT: Toa Payoh/Novena

WHEN: Till April 30, 10am - 5pm (Tue - Sun), closed on Mon

ADMISSION: Free for Singapore citizens & permanent residents; foreign visitors: $4 (adult), $2 (concession), $12 (family package of five); there will be an open house on Sun & admission is free for all

TEL: 6256-7377

INFO: www.sysnmh.org.sg

Glass Rotunda: Story Of The Forest And Singapore, Very Old Tree

Visitors to the Singapore History Gallery can view two new immersive art installations before they enter. The first is a digital art installation inspired by the William Farquhar Collection of Natural History Drawings, titled Story Of The Forest. Then there is a photography installation titled Singapore, Very Old Tree by Singaporean artist Robert Zhao that explores the discourse of nature in Singapore.

WHERE: Glass Rotunda, Level 2 National Museum of Singapore, 93, Stamford Road

MRT: Dhoby Ghaut/Bras Basah

WHEN: Ongoing, 10am - 7pm daily

ADMISSION: Free for Singaporeans, permanent residents, children aged six & younger & first caregivers of people with disabilities; foreign visitors: $15 (adult), $10 (concession); there will be an open house on Sun & admission is free for all

INFO: www.nationalmuseum.sg

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EXHIBITIONS(SHOWS)

The Wild Arctic

This exhibition features the works of nature and wildlife photographer Karim Sahai. He combines photography and advanced digital methods used in the motion picture industry to capture the untouched and fragile beauty of the High Arctic.

WHERE: East Garden Foyer, The Fullerton Hotel, 1 Fullerton Square

MRT: Raffles Place

WHEN: Till Jan 17, 10am - 10pm daily

ADMISSION: Free

INFO: www.thefullertonheritage.com

Fate By Koh Hwee Khoon

This solo art exhibition by the Singaporean artist features 20 acrylic paintings which showcase the journey of life using the arils in pomegranates. Each aril depicts the vitality and mysteries of life. The patterns of the fruit also reflect the energy flow in each life cycle.

WHERE: Level 2 Public Art Space at Pan Pacific Singapore, 7 Raffles Boulevard

MRT: City Hall/Esplanade

WHEN: Till Jan 31, 11am - 8pm daily

ADMISSION: Free

INFO: E-mail debbie@dahliagallerysg.com

Incomplete Urbanism: Attempts Of Critical Spatial Practice

This exhibition aims to explore the indeterminacy and changeability of urban living through videos, films, discussions, debates and seminars.

WHERE: The Exhibition Hall, NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore, Gillman Barracks, 43 Malan Road

MRT: Labrador Park

WHEN: Till Jan 29, noon - 7pm (Tue - Thu, Sat & Sun), noon - 9pm (Fri); closed on Mon

ADMISSION: Free

TEL: 6339-6503

INFO: ntu.ccasingapore.org

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THEATRE

History Of India By Vir Das

Comedian Vir Das finds humour in history, from the cradle of Indian civilisation in the Harappa valley to India's freedom struggle to the country opening up in the 1990s.

WHERE: Esplanade Theatre, 1 Esplanade Drive

MRT: Esplanade/City Hall

WHEN: Jan 14, 8pm

ADMISSION: $49 - $189

TEL: 6348-5555

INFO: www.sistic.com.sg

Mulan The Musical (NC16) 
This comedic stage adaptation about a filial young woman who disguises herself as a man to defend her country stars popular industry veterans from Singapore and Taiwan.

WHERE: Resorts World Theatre, Resorts World Sentosa, 8, Sentosa Gateway

MRT: HarbourFront

WHEN: Till Feb 5, 8pm (selected nights)

ADMISSION: $41 - $132

TEL: 6348-5555

INFO: www.sistic.com.sg