SINGAPORE — Say what you like about the National Day Parade, but there’s something quite stirring during the sing-along segment, when you see everybody at the venue — and we daresay, even those watching at home — coming together in one voice as they belt out the lyrics of songs about this sunny island set in the sea.

So those who want to bone up on the tunes may want to sample the new double-disc album by Warner Music called My August 9th/50 Wonderful Years. It’s a mouthful of a title, but it does contain all the National Day theme songs and National Songs that have been released in the past.

And in case you weren’t aware of it, jazz musician Jeremy Monteiro pointed out that National Songs and National Day theme songs (or NDP songs as they are commonly known) are two entirely different categories.

The former consists of songs that were commissioned by the then Ministry of Culture (and later the Ministry of Cultural Development and Ministry of Information And The Arts) to help foster community spirit. There are four: Stand Up For Singapore (1984), Count On Me Singapore (1986), We Are Singapore (1987) and One People, One Nation, One Singapore (1990), which, incidentally, was co-written by Monteiro.

The NDP songs, on the other hand, are commissioned or used specifically as theme songs for the annual National Day celebrations, such as Home, sung by Kit Chan, which was used to commemorate the 1998 edition. Barring the odd year, there has been a song specially written for each National Day celebration. These include Where I Belong by Tanya Chua, We Will Get There by Stefanie Sun and Love At First Light (Olivia Ong and Natanya Tan), to name but three. All of these songs are found in 50 Wonderful Years, which is dedicated to the late composer/arranger Iskandar Ismail, who acted as music director at several national events.

Some of the songs come with alternate versions. Our Singapore, for example, comes in a sparse voice-and-piano version by Dick Lee as well as JJ Lin’s take, which features a fuller, beats-laden arrangement.

The version of We Are Singapore here isn’t the familiar choir version but a re-arranged rendition led by Jonathan Tan, Roslinda Baharudin, Robert Fernando and Anne Weerapas. There are also Mandarin versions of Home (also sung by Kit Chan), We Will Get There (Stefanie Sun), Shine On Me (Mavis Hee), Shine For Singapore (Joi Chua) and What Do You See (Kelvin Tan).

“The whole reason for working on the compilation is very simple,” said Lim Sek, managing director of Music and Movement, about the 50 Wonderful Years album. “This is a special year for Singapore and these are the songs that many of us grew up listening to and singing. As we listen to the compilation, we get a strong sense of the passage of time and just how far we have come. It evokes a sense of pride in being Singaporean.”

He added: “The approach to the collection is also very pop music-oriented. The range of singers and songwriters also reflects the wonderful pop music talents we have here. Even though they are National Day songs, I get a stronger sense that this is a collection of excellent pop songs that celebrates a beautiful homeland.”

Listening to all these songs once again, one can’t help but admire the longevity of some of these — seriously, who can’t sing Home or Stand Up For Singapore? Conversely, one also can’t help cringing at some of the offerings. For example, the 2007 song Will You, sung by “stage and theatre artistes” (that’s how they’re credited on the album), sounds terribly dated with its synthesised beats and comes across more like a Euro dance-album track than a song to galvanise a nation. 2013’s One Singapore, as sung by the Sing A Nation Choir, also just misses the mark somehow (despite its “oh oh oh” chorus).

Of course, this isn’t the first album of nationalistic songs launched this year. Last month, EQ Music released Stand Up For Singapore, a 15-track album that consists of the four National Songs and a selection of NDP songs. Unlike 50 Years, this contained the original We Are Singapore, which — and here I don’t mean to impugn the abilities of Robert, Anne, Jonathan and Roslinda — is a lot more listenable than the 50 Wonderful Years’ version.

But We Are Singapore, as sung by “All-Stars” (that’s how it’s credited — the liner notes don’t say who these stars are), comes across as overly melodramatic, compared to the original. Likewise, the remakes of Count On Me Singapore and Stand Up For Singapore just don’t have that same gusto as the originals.

The gem in this album is the All-Stars Version of Home (again it does not say who the stars are). Admittedly, it doesn’t have the emotive evocation of Chan’s original take (or, for that matter, the 2011 remake for Total Defence Day, which featured 39 artistes, including Chan, Ramli Sarip, Vernon Cornelius, Shabir, Joi Chua, Rani Singam, Shiekh Haikel and the SSO, among others). But it is an example of how a well-crafted song still can be relevant and resonate so many years on.

In that light, what song can be the next Home? The new National Day theme song, Our Singapore, certainly has that potential. Written by Dick Lee, who also wrote Home, it’s almost a lyrical sequel. But Dr Sydney Tan, the composer/arranger who has helped with the music for many National Day Parades and was the music director for the recent SEA Games, demurred calling it the new Home. “That song (Home) was lightning in a bottle.”

Lee said: “A National Song has to appeal to all ages and races and so, I try to create the appeal from an emotional point of view. I wanted to inspire people to continue with the legacy that we have, to keep the dream alive as we all have played a part in the dream.”

If all goes well, perhaps Our Singapore may join the ranks of its predecessors; and who knows, we may all be singing its refrain at the NDP in the years to come.