Singapore, 17 September 2007 - Savour an evening of aural and visual feast as Lianhe Zaobao brings to Singapore the Purple Phoenix Ladies’ Ensemble (紫凤鸣乐中国女子乐团) for the first time.

The Purple Phoenix Ladies´ Ensemble, a highly acclaimed all-women orchestra from China, will perform at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on 8 December 2007. This is another effort by Singapore Press Holdings’ Chinese flagship daily to promote Chinese culture following the success of bringing in musicals like Immortality and A Dream Journey to Tang Dynasty.

One distinctive feature of Purple Phoenix is the instruments played by the musicians. Apart from the familiar traditional instruments like Erhu, Guzheng, Pipa, Suona and Chinese flute, the audience will get to hear for the first time, sounds made by rare Chinese instruments such as the Juqin (锯琴) – a Chinese musical saw, and the Zhuihu (坠胡), which can mimic the voice of a Peking opera singer. The audience will also be treated to the sweet and clear timbre made by the newly developed Crystal Erhu (水晶二胡), a beautiful erhu made of crystals.

Founded in late 2005, the Purple Phoenix Ladies´ Ensemble is one of the most sought after Chinese women orchestras in China today. Since its inaugural performance in Beijing in August 2006, it has toured various parts of China to critical acclaim, garnering rave reviews from both the audience and the media. It is also the only all-women orchestra in China that combines visual and aural elements in their musical performances through acting and dancing.

Members of the Purple Phoenix started their rigorous musical training since young, and went on to hone and refine their professional skills by performing at prestigious music institutions such as the esteemed China Academy of Music and PLA Academy of the Arts. Most players are multi-talented with the ability to play more than one instrument with ease.

In addition to familiar classics such as “Horse racing” (赛马) and “As the stream flows” (小河淌水), the ladies will also perform popular songs like "Memory" from the Broadway musical Cats, and the theme song from Korean drama "Jewel of the Palace" (大长今). The musicians, in addition to playing the instruments, can also sing, dance and even perform the "face changing" act (变脸) seen in Sichuan opera.

The one-night concert, titled Lavender Night: An evening of music with the Purple Phoenix Ladies´ Ensemble, is presented by Lianhe Zaobao and sponsored by Hi-P International. The official hotel is Golden Oriental Resort.

Concert Details
Lavender Night: An evening of music with the Purple Phoenix Ladies´ Ensemble
Date: 8 December 2007
Time: 8 pm
Venue: Singapore Indoor Stadium

For media coverage, please contact Ms Ong Hui Fang at 6319 8954(o); 9366 3609 (hp); Email: onghf@sph.com.sg or Lok Siow Ling at 6319 1354 ; Email loksl@sph.com.sg

Ticketing information
Price: $90, $70, $50, $40*
*Price excludes SISTIC administration charges

Note: Early bird special of 10% discount for group bookings of 10 tickets and above. Senior citizens above 55 are also eligible for 10% discount off ticket price. For group bookings, please contact Ms Shirley Ong (DID: 6319 1519) or Miss Seow Siok Mui (DID: 6319 1998) or email cipzifeng@sph.com.sg

Call SISTIC hotline: 6348 5555 or visit www.sistic.com.sg for more ticketing information.

Issued by Singapore Press Holdings Limited
Co. Regn. No: 198402868E

For more information, please contact:

Francis Mah
Manager
Corporate Communications
Singapore Press Holdings
Tel: 6319 1028
Email: mahys@sph.com.sg

Adrian Cheong
Asst Manager
Corporate Communications
Singapore Press Holdings
Tel: 6319 2261
Email: cheongcy@sph.com.sg

About Lianhe Zaobao

Lianhe Zaobao, the Chinese flagship newspaper published by Singapore Press Holdings, is the most comprehensive, contemporary Chinese daily that reflects current issues, commercial interests, lifestyles and trends of the local and global Chinese community. It is a trusted and respected source for news and opinion for both Singapore readers as well as the region’s Chinese literate community.

About Singapore Press Holdings Ltd

Newspapers and Magazines
Main board-listed Singapore Press Holdings Ltd (SPH) is the leading media company in Singapore, delivering news and information through print, Internet and broadcasting platforms. In Singapore, it publishes 14 newspapers in four languages. Every day, 2.7 million individuals or 83 percent of people above 15 years old, read one of SPH’s news publications. SPH also publishes over 90 magazine titles in Singapore and the region, covering a broad range of interests from lifestyle to information technology.

Internet and Mobile
Beyond print, the Internet editions of SPH newspapers enjoy over 110 million pageviews with 7 million unique visitors every month. Apart from SPH AsiaOne portal, SPH´s online and new media initiatives include a revolutionary mobile advertising and information service, ZapCode; recruitment and job search service, ST701; and STOMP (Straits Times Online Mobile Print), a portal that connects, engages and interacts with readers on the Web and via mobile phone messaging.

Broadcasting
SPH has a 20 percent stake in MediaCorp TV Holdings Pte Ltd, which operates free-to-air channels 5, 8, U and TV Mobile, and a 40 percent stake in MediaCorp Press Pte Ltd, which publishes the free newspaper, Today. In the radio business, SPH has a 80 percent stake in SPH UnionWorks Pte Ltd, which operates entertainment stations Radio 100.3 FM in Mandarin and Radio 91.3 FM in English.

Outdoor Advertising
In addition, SPH has ventured into outdoor advertising through its wholly-owned subsidiary, SPH MediaBoxOffice Pte Ltd, Singapore´s largest outdoor motion display advertising network media company, and a 35 percent stake in TOM Outdoor Media Group, a leading outdoor advertising company in China.

Properties
SPH owns and manages Paragon, the prime retail and office complex in the heart of Orchard Road, Singapore’s main shopping belt. SPH’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Times Development Pte Ltd, is also developing a 43-storey upmarket residential condominium, Sky@eleven, at Thomson Road.