“We want to give back to the community,” says Rolf Jarle Brøske, Senior Vice President Communications at Det Norske Oljeselskap (The Norwegian Oil Company, further mentioned as Det Norske in this article).
Det Norske donates SGD 2000 to C.I.T.Y Community Services in Singapore. But the generous donation of SGD 2000 is not all. Det Norske wanted to share the best of the Norwegian culture to Singapore, why they in collaboration with the Norwegian Embassy invited 60 boys from the famous 900-years old boys’ choir, Nidarosdomen’s Boys’ Choir, to perform a concert in the beautiful St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Singapore.
The concert helped to fundraise for the work of C.I.T.Y Community Services, and the 850 guests who attended the concert had the option to donate a small amount if desired. And they did.
“Thank you for the gift of Norway’s best Boys’ Choir to fill St Andrew’s Cathedral’s walls with their beautiful singing. We are glad that the reception was well attended and received. We are grateful to the Nidaros Cathedral Boys’ Choir for allowing us to use the concert to fundraise for the work of CITY Community Services. We have collected SGD 19,923.35 from that evening. Last but not least, we really enjoyed working with your very capable and efficient team in making that evening such a success for both parties. We are open to future collaborations with the choir. Thank you once again,” says Canon Terry Wong in a letter to The Norwegian Embassy.
The donation and concert were given on 20 Friday 2016 at the reception of St. Andrew’s Church, where more than 800 people attended. Det Norske are celebrating the finished Ivar Aasen-project, a huge platform deck of more than 13.700 tonnes, which has been constructed in Singapore since 2013, and are now ready to be sailed away to Stavanger in Norway. A project as huge as this deserves a proper celebration, why Det Norske has been planned the whole weekend 20-22 May 2016 to mark the succes of the now finished Ivar Aasen top platform deck.
Before the concert on Friday began, Det Norske hosted a reception to express their gratitude for Singapore. CEO of Det Norske, Karl Johnny Hersvik, welcomed the guests including Norwegian Ambassador in Singapore, H.E. Tormod Endresen and Norwegian Minister of Migration and Immigration, Sylvi Listhaug. There was a special reason why Det Norske had chosen to bring Nidarosdomen’s Boys’ Choir to Singapore.
“A lot of boys have been trained incredibly hard to become a boys’ choir. So has Singapore trained incredibly hard to be a nation. It’s the same method they are using to train to succeed, and their hard work have paid off. We have also worked hard on the Ivar Aasen-project, and we are so grateful to have been working with determined people. That’s how we succeed,” said Karl Johnny Hersvik in his opening speech.
Det Norske thanked the Norwegian Ambassador and handed the Embassy a beautiful work of art by famous Norwegian artist Haakon Gullvaag called “Gutt med båt (=A boy with ship). According to Rolf Jarle Brøske, this painting is an important symbol of the close cooperation between the two shipping nations, Norway and Singapore, both in general, but also regarding the Ivar Aasen-project in particular. Haakon Gullvaag has created two art pieces in this theme, and the other is decorating the walls in the Norwegian consulate in Shanghai. This one will decorate the Norwegian residence in Singapore.
“I am exceedingly happy for this gift from Det Norske, and I am so happy they give a chance to show Singapore some of high Norwegian culture,” said H.E. Tormod Endresen.
To Singapore, Karl Johnny Hersvik and Det Norske give a donation of SGD 2000 to the C.I.T.Y, a Singaporean community services of St. Andrew’s Cathedral, who seeks to meet the neds of underprivililegded primary school children, including international students who live and study in Singapore far away from their families. CITY stands for “Character in the Young”.
Members of C.I.T.Y attended the concert, and they showed their gratitude of letting 6 children from C.I.T.Y handing each choir member a handmade gift in form of a beautifully crafted notebook. They also gave flowers to both Karl Hersvik, the Norwegian Ambassador and the choir conductor, Bjørn Moes.
Singapore was more than happy for the Norwegian generousity.
“On behalf of C.I.T.Y, to end this evening with blessings, I will thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving us the best of Norway. On behalf of all in Singapore, it has been a pleasure to experience this concert, and I thank God for having the privilege of having you tonight,” said Revenant Rennis Ponniah, the Anglican Bishop of Singapore after the performance at St. Andrew’s Cathedral.
