The Arts House at The Old Parliament

Had a romantic date with my partner at the Old Parliament. Glad to see this historic building has been restored and serves as a cultural center for Singaporeans even unto the modern age. Missed getting our Candlelight photo after the concert, tried to contact the organizers after the concert, so far to no avail. Hope the organizers can get back to us quickly. It was an intimate experience together with the Vocalise chamber orchestra and Humanists Society. We quite enjoyed it. This was to the point some of the patrons of the arts attending got somewhat amorous during the concert. (pssst, don't go too overboard with the PDA) It was also amusing to see a member of Vocalise conduct the other musicians with his extremely expressive eyebrows. Added to the flavor and atmosphere. I personally thought there were a few tuning inaccuracies and small mistakes at the start of the performance, but the chamber orchestra eventually hit their stride as the evening went on.

Great experienced visiting place for indoor musical concert like Candle light. Sitting space abit crampy especially passage way to get inside seat. Overall was great as govern preserved it for other usage rather than tearing it down. They should consider shelter walkway to a pick-up point or bus stop, if it rained u could have just stucked there squeezing with everyone waiting foe rain to stop.

Review for Candlelight Concert String Quartet Movie Soundtracks for 75SGD (Zone B). Performance (by Vocalise String Quartet) The quartet had GREAT chemistry and musicianship. They breathed together and phrased things so beautifully. I loved how some of the arrangements ended with tension, and adored their fast-paced songs. That being said, the repertoire wasn’t the most diverse, it could arguably be renamed to ‘a Night of Disney and like Three Other Movies’ tbh LOL. I was not very fond of the slow Disney pieces as they relied heavily on soloists with more bland ensemble work. Toy Story and The Mandalorian were FANTASTIC!! I would LOVE to see the quartet lean into more stylized pieces like from Princess and the Frog in lieu of pieces like Colours of the Wind. Venue I will say with the price, I think it left something to be desired in the venue/spectacle element of it. Sure there were (apparently) 1000 or so digital candles but it did not wow me as an audience member. It was just. okay. The fantastic performers can only contribute so much of the overall experience too. I don’t have much constructive criticism other than maybe try having a bit more candles in zone B and C, and increase the atmosphere to the foyer for an immersive experience? Maybe experiment with different, warmer house lighting in the foyer even. Overall TLDR; It was really great and as a musician I really loved it. But the price was rather steep for a short 65 min set. I felt a bit overcharged :’-)

Visited The Arts House to attend Candlelight: The Best of Joe Hisaishi. The place was decorated beautifully which added to the ambience of the concert. 10/10 would recommend everyone to attend this experience in-person

Candle light concert was beautiful at the Arts House. Building has been kept well and there were ushers to guide you. AC level very pleasant.

An Amazing Experience – Highly Recommended! The Candlelight Concert was absolutely magical! The ambience was right on point — warm, intimate, and beautifully set amidst the glow of candles. The musicians were outstanding, and the atmosphere made the entire evening truly unforgettable. It was a wonderful experience that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for something special and a memorable evening!

Honestly, this was such a lovely experience—perfect for a romantic date or just to sit back and enjoy some classical music surrounded by the soft glow of candlelight. The atmosphere was magical! If you’re planning to go, try to arrive a little early to snap some photos in the main area—it’s beautiful. Just a heads-up: it's free seating, and while the vibe is amazing, the ticket price felt a bit steep for a one-hour show, especially since only parts of the original pieces were played each time except for the last music. It was slightly disappointing, but overall, it was still a night to remember!

Candlelight: Magical Movie Soundtracks on Strings — Absolutely phenomenal! The quartet was amazing, the ambiance enchanting, and the entire experience pure magic. Highly recommend!

A little known fact that The Arts House is the oldest building in Singapore! Looking at the 3 storey building surrounded by Victoria Theatre, National Gallery and Asian Civilisations Museum,one would never guess this used to be the grandest, tallest building around. There are many spaces here that people can rent for events such as weddings, meetings, and corporate dinners. Arts groups and independent artists can apply for a heavily subsidised rental rate.

Within The Arts House is this cosy 75-seat mini-theatre which I never knew existed. I stumbled upon it on a Saturday night after checking out a photography exhibition and realised they were screening "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas". I was surprised to discover that it was free! It was just starting so I walked in to a pretty packed audience and took a seat. So I watched this excellent movie for free. Score. Sound quality is so-so but the seats are comfortable and even though it's pretty level it's spaced out so nobody's head blocks your view of the screen. I realised that the screening was part of an Arts House Event known as "But Is the Book Better?" - so they're showing novels that have been brought to life on the silver screen. There are also other different film events such as the on-going "EmancipAsia" which is an event screening films about human trafficking. I'd suggest checking out what's on offer on their website each month - most of the movies are screened for free, or at a cheaper price than at the multiplexes. This is the perfect change from generic cinemas, and the perfect place to bring a date. The films are probably better than most blockbusters currently on offer too!

As I was making my way back to my hotel, and decided how I should get there, I passed by this building which I must admit looked quite grand. Okay, I have worked out pretty quickly that it was the Old Parlaiment House, so that caught my attention quick smart. What also surprised me was that despite it being around 6:00 pm in the evening it was still open (I'm used to most places closing at 5:00). So, having a little bit of time on my hands I decided to check it out. Unfortunately there wasn't all that much inside (though I do note that they do have regular exhibitions). I did spend some time checking out the old legislative chamber, and some of the other things that they had there, but I must say there wasn't anything all that exciting. I guess I came at the wrong time.

I came here on the last day of "Leonardo da Vinci's Earlier Mona Lisa" exhibition and it was an interesting and fun self-guided exhibit. They provide you with an tablet loaded with videos explaining how they proved it's an original painting. I believe the video totals up to 90-minutes. I have to admit though, the first several videos were interesting, but at some point, I just wanted to see the actual paining. I've seen the Mona Lisa in The Louvre and you can definitely see the similarities. Also, since it was the last day of the exhibition, everything in the souvenir shop was 50% off... score!

Great if you like catching artsy non-mainstream movies! I caught Old Romances here recently, the sequel to Old Places by Royston Tan. Documentary that definitely brought you down old Singapore memory lane.

You check out SAM for contemporary art and design galleries, the Substation for experimental and amateur theatre, and the Arts House for activities that have to do with the literary arts. This means book launches, reading clubs, dialogue sessions with comic artists, plays that first begun as short stories etc... These are just a few reasons why I've visited this humble little arts space tucked away near the Singapore River recently. The programme managers here are passionate about literature in Singapore, and are constantly organising activities to rouse people's interest in the written word through a number of different forms. Most recently, they loaned out a small space to BooksActually and displayed titles from the publishing arm Math Paper Press for sale. Look out for the regular New Word Order sessions that features writers and artists in an intimate dialogue session where audiences are encouraged to ask questions with the speakers. Great place to check out over the weekend!

It's an unusual location which used to be the Old Parliament House, so getting to sit in what used to be the Chambers is quite a cheap thrill - love that they've left in all the old details like translation knobs and speakers. The Chambers seats are comfortable but not the most practical ones, you need to clamber over people to get to the innermost end as there's only one entrance for some reason; to stop politicans from making a dash for it between boring speeches? There are also a number of other smaller venues within the Arts House for more intimate programmes. As its name implies, it's now an arts venue so look out for interesting programmes happening throughout the year. It's also conveniently near to Asian Civilizations Museum and the Singapore River so you can visit that all at once.

Previously the Old Parliament House, and even prior to that Maxwell's House, this beautiful building is now a multi-disciplinary arts venue. There's a good programme all year long, of music, film, art, literary arts, dance and others. More famously, this is where the superb Talking Cock in Parliament series are held, when they do happen (infrequently; there have been just two so far). It is good fun, if a bit of a cheap thrill, to sit in the gallery and in the former cabinet ministers' seats, when attending an event here. P.S. Check out the bronze elephant at the entrance!

The Arts House, which is actually the erstwhile Parliament House, now sits as a multi-disciplinary platform that plays host to both festivals and artists alike. Vestiges of its past can be explored in the still intact chambers that is honestly not all that exciting after the first subdued 'wow'. What I do love about this venue is the range of programs that has been made available to the public. In recent years, the focus has shifted to the literary scene of Singapore but a good smattering of music performances and visual art exhibitions are still held here. A couple of weeks back, I decided to pop over for a photography exhibition and stumbled into a screening of "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas". Cue a lot more stumbling and concussing throughout the length of this terrific film. Here's something else that made me trip over myself: admission is free. Found out later that these screenings are being held as part of a program called "But Is The Book Better?" Absolutely brilliant - someone must have read my mind. Till we answer that contentious question, enjoy the film(s).