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Synopsis :

The programme 'Arts Review' is one of several National Day specials put out by Radio and Television Singapore. It is presented by Raymond Ong. For introduction he says the programme takes a look at people identifying or feeling a bond, a relationship at home or among people and with their respective country.

He cites a football match with Singapore playing an example of conveying the sentiment of bond or tie. He goes to the National Stadium, sits among the football fans to catch their reaction, the gut response' - the shouting, the cheering, jumping up and down - giving their support to the players because of the bond and the relationship. Raymond adds when the Singapore team wins, it is not only the 11 players, but the fans at the stadium and Singapore who win as well.

Raymond continues that the artists who write or compose, who feel the 'oneness' and form attachement with their home country must also be able to 'see his individual and personal part in it' and should not be just 'gut response'.  The panel of three sit down to discuss precisely the form this bond and attachment are reflected in the artists works including examples of works of Singaporeans and outside of Singapore.

Raymond then introduces the panel as:
1. Edwin Thumboo, poet and compiler of such writings; talks briefly about his two new works.
2. Wong Meng Voon, short story writer; talks about this recent works.
3. Choo Hwee Lim, better known through his classical music programmes over Radio Singapore.

To start off the discussion proper are the reading of 3 poems from Asia, namely:
1. Rabindranath Tagore's poem - Gitanjali. Against
the poem written in Sanskrit, its translation in English is read by Adrienne Chew. It 'expresses attachment with India with idealism and voice of hope'.
2. Poem of Qu Yuan expressing another type of sentiments, in his masterpiece - Lisao.
First is a voice over in Mandarin against the text written in Chinese followed by  translation in English read by Clive Scharenghivel.
3. Muhammad Yamin's 'Ode to a Beautiful Land' (Permintaan) with the text in Bahasa Indonesian, Adrienne Chew reads the English translation. This poem shows a 'more lyrical expression of attachment to a country'.

In between the discussion, the panel pauses to listen to 4 more poems:
1. Kota Singapura (My Lion City) penned and read by Masuri S. N., Singapore's foremost poet writing in Malay,  followed by a voice over of English translation.
2. Lee Tzu Pheng reading her poem - My County and My People - which looks at herself.
3. Robert Yeo reads his poem - Coming Home Baby written in 1969.
4. Thumboo reading his new poem - The Way Ahead.

In the discussion, Raymond raises various issues and aspects for comments, which include:
1. the 3 poets showing clearly their attachments to their countries but from different aspects.
2. how do 'roots and past' influence writing of younger local writings.
3. expressing 'love of one's country' in music.
4. pride in country.
5. writing about darker side of country does not mean less patriotic.
6. common identity is important, the key, when talking about the nexus or relationship between a person and his country.

Edwin Thumboo elaborates on the passions in the three poems from Asia. He adds writings in English is more complicated and 'most multi racial' in being influenced by others, and writers searching for 'a suitable medium to reflect our cultural mixture'. He sees writings going through 3 stages, the last stage being of young Singapores more conscious write what they please themselves and  conscious they are more Singaporeans than the panel's generation. He also points out writing is in a 'state of flux, of change'  the type of writings has not yet emerged, people are not quite 'attached in spirit' to Singapore, and would only know how attached until they go away and would miss everything - food, friendship, personal relationship. The first step to attachment is to take oneself seriously and the highest form of attachement is to write about 'ourselves to own society, own people'. He explains how he comes to write the poem - The Way Ahead.

Choo Hwee Lim explains how musicians express their sentiments to their country, citing an example in 'Finlandia' by Sibelius. He adds expressing 'love of one's country' is more difficult to express as music is abstract and appeals to emotions rather than intellect. He is not aware in music of any 'struggle' before independence, as experienced in writings. Music usually 'tags along with literature, literary area takes the lead. In music, he stresses, 'whatever is expressed in local music is not recognised as national unless it has common feeling, common emotion, common identity'.

Wang Meng Voon explains how 'roots and the past' influence new, young local Chinese works. These writers also learn from great local writings and even to a certain extent western writings. He finds that early Chinese poems are the 'explosive type', that is anti colonial, antti foreign, but after the war and Singapore independenc, the poems are more constructive and reflect the 'brighter side of society'.

Rounding off the discussion, Raymond says this 'bond between a country and its people is a relationship difficult to express in concrete terms, but the underlying theme is that people feel they belong and they are comfortable here and this is home'. He adds that 'we belong to a country because it makes us what we are - its sights and sounds, people and heritage, its history, and its future'.

This feeling is expressed in some lines in the poem by Mohd Haji Salleh - The City is My Home, with Clive Scharenghivel reading the English translation.