SINGAPORE, Nov 16 — It was a concert born of love, one that was at least six months in the making. But it was also a charitable feat that Chyi Yu and her team of superstar guests, sponsors and crew pulled off beautifully.

To raise funds for Ren Ci Hospital, the legendary Taiwanese singer had called in the help of famed singer-songwriter Jonathan Lee, her brother and singer Chyi Chin and Singaporean pop star Stefanie Sun, all of whom performed pro bono at Chyi Yu’s Love and Remembrance Charity Concert on Saturday evening at The Star Theatre.

The result was a musical extravaganza for fans of Mandopop —while raising S$2,003,776 (RM6,186,349) in donations and ticket sales, which will go towards patient care at Ren Ci Hospital.

The thing is, we are not so sure Chyi Yu needed any help in the first place.

During the sold-out show, which lasted a little more than three hours, Chyi Yu performed a pitch perfect selection of her English covers and greatest hits, including Smile, Dream, Prayer, Memory and Angel, with her famously crystal clear vocals. In what was one of the more moving moments of the night, she also performed her own rendition of Home — in both English and Mandarin — to thunderous applause.

Still, we won’t complain about Chyi Yu’s superstar guests, who took turns to sing some of their own hits — such as Kepler and Against The Light for Sun, Infatuation and I Travelled Across The Oceans To See You for Lee; and Wolf and Night for Chyi Chin — as well as duets with Chyi Yu.

First up was Stefanie Sun, who not only seemed to relish the opportunity to perform the timeless classic Olive Tree with its original singer, but also performed admirably.

(The Singaporean songbird had previously included her version of Olive Tree in her cover album Start.)

Next was Jonathan Lee, who asked Chyi Yu to help harmonise as he sang The Price Of Love because, he quipped, Chyi Yu’s own songs were too difficult to sing.

But the loudest cheers were reserved for Chyi Chin, who took the stage despite a nasty cold.

Chyi Chin, who said he last visited Singapore 15 years ago, led the audience in a spontaneous sing-along session with his classic hit Maybe In The Winter, before teaming up with his sister for a stirring performance of The World Outside and a cover of Faye Wong’s I Am Willing.

During the concert, all four stars took turns to thank the audience of 5,200 for supporting the concert as well as Ren Ci’s cause — although I am pretty sure we should be thanking them for their contributions to the Singaporean hospital.

“You don’t have to be a famous person to do charity,” said Chyi Yu at the end of the show.

“It’s about making the lives of the people around you a little better, which will make your own life better. That is what I have learnt.”

Those are wise words to live by, indeed. — TODAY