Frances Yip celebrates Valentine's Day with NAFA Orchestra Famous internationally for her signature tune "Shanghai Beach", Cantopop singer Frances Yip will be in town on Valentines Day to present her hits together with an orchestra at the Indoor Stadium. After the major success with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra in 2006, Yip returns to Singapore for a Valentine's Day concert, accompanied by the orchestra of Nanyang Acadamy of Fine Arts. "I think orchestra music best creates the warm and romantic atmosphere. In conjunction with Valentine's Day, I'll be singing more soothing hits," Yip said in an email interview with Xin.sg. "There will also be more English songs this time round. I've specially chosen ballads like "Evergreen", "My Heart Will Go On", etc. These songs are great when accompanied by the symphony band," she added. Yip, who has been singing for 37 years, sang many theme songs for the Hong Kong TVB drama series. Among all her songs, her personal favorite has got to be "Hong Yan". "This song reveals the mentality of a woman who has been in and out of love for many years. The lyrics reveal a sense of helplessness and vicissitudes of life, and have to be sung by a mature lady; someone without sufficient life experiences will not be able to capture the emotions involved in the song. Though the melody is catchy, the lyrics are poetic. This composition of Joseph Koo and Cheng Kwok Kong is absolutely superb," Yip said. Yip, who will be in Singapore to celebrate the romantic day with her local fans, also shared romantic moments with her husband. "My husband and I seldom celebrate Valentine's Day; but there was a day when he specially gave me a bouquet of 15 roses to commemorate our 15th anniversary. It was indeed a pleasant surprise." Having been married for 30 years, Yip's secret to maintaining the marriage is communication. "We are an old couple but we still show respect for each other. We emphasize on communication and will discuss every single problem we meet. We will never go to bed with grudges or remember the wrongdoings of each other. He will ensure that my work goes smoothly while I take care of his meals and wellbeing." It is said that courtship is usually a honeymoon period with the most romance; when marriage comes along, romances gradually pales. "We do not do anything specially to maintain the romance of courtship but when you feel that he's truly showing concern for you, you will naturally feel warm and loved. It will be great to share a common interest with a common goal such that you can spur each other on," she shared. Despite her stern face and strong built, Yip revealed to be a gentle wife and a soft-hearted grandmother. "At the moment, my greatest love is my one-year-old granddaughter. She's very lively and touches our hearts with her tears and laughter." The things Yip missed most about Singapore are laksa and the East Coast Park. The local beach scenery may not be comparable to that of the "Shanghai Beach" but she said it gave her a special sense of romance. "The Singapore beach is very romantic. I like to take a stroll along East Coast Park in the evening."
