Vivien Goh was six when her father—pioneering violinist Goh Soon Tioe¹—first gave her a violin.

Vivien, the 1983 recipient of Singapore’s highest arts accolade, the Cultural Medallion, recalls: “He gave me a violin, but he didn’t give me regular lessons except before dinner. By that time, he was tired after teaching students. And I was tired at the end of the day. We couldn’t concentrate and it always ended up in a mess.”

Discouraged, Vivien put the violin under her bed. 

Strangely enough, at age eight, Vivien started playing the violin in her father’s junior orchestra that comprised his students her age. (They included her father’s protege, Lee Pan Hon,² who had been spotted in a singlet at the age of five on the streets of Chinatown, playing a homemade violin.)

Vivien had only just started taking piano lessons the year before. 

Vivien, now 76, muses: “Somehow I could play, even though I didn’t take violin lessons, and I didn’t practise much. When I came in to learn the pieces, I found that I already knew them because I had already heard them when my father taught students in the next room.”  

Could she have learnt to play by osmosis?

“Yes, so music was by osmosis, and Christian values were also by osmosis,” she says with a chuckle. 

As Vivien looks back on her life while preparing for this interview for Our Stories, His Glory, she realises: “God’s hand was with me from Day One. I grew up with music at home. I grew up in a Christian family. I went to a school with a Christian environment and chapel services every week. At church, I was able to learn about the Bible while serving in the ministry of music. Everything was gifted to me. I didn’t have to go out and search for them.

“God gave me everything that was good for me.”

Mum’s Influence

Vivien’s first Christian role model was her mum, Chang Lee Sieng, who came from Sarawak.

“She was a devout Christian, thanks to the influence of missionaries in Sarawak.

“She had a close relationship with a Mrs Mary Hoover.³ Mrs Hoover noticed that she was quite bright. She made it possible for Mum to come to Singapore to further her studies at Methodist Girls’ School (MGS). 

“Mum’s father was patriarchal at that time—only the boys could have tertiary education,” explains Vivien. “But all 20 of his children were eventually able to pursue higher education on their own steam.”

Vivien’s mother taught English at Nan Chiau Girls’ High School. At WMC, she was active in the flower committee and was a regular at Bible studies. 

Blossoming at MGS 

Vivien started studying at her mother’s alma mater in 1955. She recalled her mum driving her to MGS in an old Morris Minor.

“I loved going to school and was an eager student,” says Vivien, who blossomed academically and spiritually in the nurturing Christian environment.

Vivien, already no stranger to the stage having performed in her father’s string orchestra, had a number of musical firsts at MGS.

She joined the school choir—“a big thing in MGS”—at a time when CCA (co-curricular activity) choices were few.

In Primary Six, she gave her first solo violin performance at a school concert, accompanied by a classmate on the piano. 

“The music teacher, Miss Kwa Geok Lian⁴ (who subsequently became Mrs Ernest Lau⁵), gave me my first experience at conducting: It was a percussion band!” Vivien recalls.

“Miss Kwa was a wonderful pianist. Before singing class, she would play certain music to indicate if we should sit or stand. The sit-down music was ‘going down the stairs’ to the bottom of the piano, and the stand-up music was very brisk chords going up the piano. So cute!” 

Vivien, who became Head Prefect in Secondary Four, had her first taste of leadership in her first year at MGS.

“I was selected to be class monitor in Primary One because I was tall,” she quips.

Vivien was the Ellice Handy Medallist for the class of 1964 when she topped the Senior Cambridge School Certificate Examination.

“I enjoyed studying. It wasn’t a struggle for me (except for the science subjects!). I still enjoy studying,” she says. 

Vivien also enjoyed studying God’s Word. 

When she was 14, Vivien put up her hand, along with her friends, during an altar call to accept Jesus as her Lord and Saviour. It was during Religious Emphasis Week at MGS, and Rev Dr Gunnar J Teilmann, then the pastor in charge at WMC, had come to speak.

His wife, Mrs Teilmann, came specially to MGS to nurture the girls spiritually through Bible studies. These recess-time lessons, held once a week, were also run by “godly” teachers like Miss Wong Hee Hua, who taught Vivien mathematics and history—Vivien’s favourite subject. Miss Wong was also her beloved conductor of the school choir.

“Miss Wong was so patient, a sweet person. I remember a lot of the things she taught me; when you like a teacher, you remember more,” says Vivien.

At WMC, Vivien’s Sunday School teacher in her secondary school years, Dr Aw Swee Eng,⁶ made an impact on her.

“Dr Aw was a scientist and researched things he was passionate about. He was so knowledgeable and presented lessons from the Bible so clearly,” says Vivien.

“My mind became more open to knowing about God.” 

After MGS, Vivien took a plane to the US to attend the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester, on a full scholarship. 

“I went to the US in August 1965 with a Malaysian passport, and came back in 1969 as a Singaporean,” she quips of growing up in a period of great political change in Singapore, where she experienced being in a British colony, a self-governed colony in 1959, a Malaysian state in 1963, and a Republic in 1965.

Ministry of Music

Vivien joined Sunday School⁷ at WMC when she was in Primary One.

She started serving musically by singing with the girls’ choir formed by Roberta Ho. 

At the age of 15, in 1963, Vivien started playing the organ at the 10am service.

“In my younger days I was full of energy, and could play at the 7.30am, 10am and 5pm services—all in one day—if I was called upon to,” says Vivien, who at the time of writing, is rostered to play twice a month at the evening service.

She was “deeply influenced by the Christian life and musical leadership” of Mrs Koh Geok Kheng,⁸ with whom she collaborated on numerous concerts. Geok Kheng conducted the Evening Choir (subsequently called Wesley Heralds) and later the Dawnbreakers (the choir of the 7.30am service). She also led the choir at the evangelistic Victory Meetings.⁹

“She had a deep faith and was a great role model as a church musician,” shares Vivien.

Vivien has used virtually all her music skills in ministry at WMC.

Over the decades, Vivien has served in some form of music ministry—as pianist, organist, choir conductor—across the three Sunday services in the Sanctuary, mostly at the evening services, where attendance was so small that the services were almost scrapped. 

(Vivien also plays the viola). 

“However, the combined Wesley church choir was one of Singapore’s biggest choirs; they had the scale to put up concerts of big Christian choral works by composers like Mendelssohn, Haydn and Handel at Victoria Theatre,” says Vivien, who chaired the Worship and Music ministry in the 1970s.

For Vivien, something else was bigger than the size of the choir: “One day, we were studying Isaiah. I thought, ‘This is very familiar.’ Then I realised that we had sung Isaiah 40:1-3 in Handel’s Messiah.

“So the choir fed my Christian life. We sang a lot of anthems¹⁰ and hymns based on the Psalms and texts from the Bible, and here I absorbed many of the lessons about God and the Christian life,” says Vivien, adding that many lyrics also came from the books of Habakkuk and Zechariah.

“They mean a lot to me because of the Word.

“I was in the worship ministry, but I believe the music fed me more than I fed others.”

It was through serving at Victory Meetings that Vivien developed the confidence to pray aloud in a small group.

“Usually the person in charge of an event prays. But during preparations for Victory Meetings, we were broken up into small groups to pray and encourage each other.

“Victory Meetings weren’t just about the music. They were so spiritual, and undergirded with prayer,” she shares.

Period of Testing

Vivien continued to be fed and to serve at WMC, even through “a period of testing” in the 1980s.

“Coming to church is such a big part of my life. Even when I travel, the first thing I do is look for a church. It didn’t enter my mind to stop serving,” she explains.

In February 1980, Vivien, then 32, took on the national role as musical director and conductor of the newly-established Singapore Youth Orchestra (SYO). 

In the same month, her mother passed away suddenly from a heart attack.

“It was such a shock. Suddenly, she was gone.”

The responsibility of caring for her father suddenly fell on Vivien—on top of teaching students in her father’s private studio since he fell ill five years earlier.

“Suddenly, I became the adult, the parent in the family. I grew up in a hurry and learnt a lot during that time. Previously, Mum did everything.”

Vivien was suddenly in charge of the family home and sorting out her late mum’s estate.

Of her father, she says: “At that time, there was no awareness that what he had was dementia. We only knew that he was not himself. He was usually jovial, sociable and loved to talk. But when he wandered into my music studio, he stared at students and said nothing.” 

The family took him to a psychiatrist who prescribed medication.

“It made him worse, and he couldn’t function on his own,” says Vivien.

“I had sleepless nights as my father was restless and up and about at night. When he woke up, I also woke up.”

Of being able to uphold her responsibility as conductor of SYO, on top of the heavy duties at home, “it was all God’s grace,” she says. 

In the second year of caring for her father, he had a fall and was bedridden.

Vivien saw God’s provision in the form of a faithful helper who had been with the family for 40 years, and a day nurse.

“I also took up a friend’s offer to call her when I needed relief from caring for my dad at night,” says Vivien.

Discouraged because her father was not responsive or able to talk much, she confided in Jenny Chi.¹¹

“Jenny encouraged me to keep communicating with him. She assured me that although my father could not respond, what I said to him was being absorbed. I share this advice with many people in similar situations,” says Vivien.

Vivien also heeded Jenny’s advice to read and pray the Psalms with her father. Vivien also took the cue from evangelist Billy Graham who had said: “If you don’t read anything, just read one Proverb and five Psalms a day.”

Vivien shares: “There is a lot of wisdom in that. We spent meaningful time together, and I discovered how meaningful and consoling the Psalms can be in difficult situations.

“Psalms is the best book in the Bible. There is a Psalm for every kind of situation. There is a lot of praise and joy. I found it very calming.”

Classical music Vivien played in an attempt to jog her father’s memory also had a calming effect on him.

Her father passed away in 1982 at the age of 70.

“The grief [I felt] after my father passed away was the grief for both my parents passing. I now understood the feeling of emptiness. There was a big hole every evening when I went home. I filled it by doing cross-stitch patterns with a dark night theme.” 

A year after her father’s passing, her younger sister Patricia also passed away suddenly.

“I don’t recall what I felt except numbness,” says Vivien.

During such a time, she found comfort and assurance in Psalm 23 (incidentally, featured in many anthems) and in her mother’s favourite hymn, What a Friend We Have in Jesus. 

As “wave upon wave of loss” came upon the family in the early 1980s, Vivien kept working “by God’s grace”.

“Work took my mind off problems,” she admits. “The work became more complicated, more intense, with the SYO putting on more concerts and programmes.”

Passing on the Baton

Vivien made such an impact on young musicians and the national orchestra that The Straits Times dubbed her “the woman who made the Singapore Youth Orchestra what it is today” in 1989—a year before she passed on the baton. 

“I’ve been seeing the fruits of my labour for many years—in going to Singapore Symphony Orchestra concerts where the ex-SYO members play, and in seeing so many students having successful students and ensembles of their own. It’s very rewarding indeed!” says Vivien, who has been nurturing young Singapore musicians in various capacities since returning from New York in 1969.

She is currently an adjunct music teacher at the School of the Arts. 

At WMC, the season of COVID highlighted the importance of succession planning, when seniors were not allowed to go to church in person, to keep them safe from the coronavirus. 

“I told Jusuf Kam,¹² ‘We are all so old. Where are the younger organists and pianists?’ After all, I started playing at church when I was 15.”

After Jusuf’s passing in 2023, younger musicians stepped forward to serve.

Vivien’s advice to those with a gift of music? “If you love playing music, serving God with the talent He has given you will bring much joy to you and the congregation.

“As it is said in Psalm 95:2, ‘Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.’”

Growth during Cancer

Vivien was hit by another storm in 1995 when she was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer. 

“I was worried when I was diagnosed. I was 47 years old. I thought, ‘This is the end of my life.’ It didn’t help that the doctor had said, ‘Do everything you want to do in the next three years.’” 

It so happened that just before the cancer diagnosis, she had finally bitten the bullet and joined the Bible Study Fellowship (BSF), which she had been hearing about for years. 

“I had told the leader, ‘I have no time for homework. Also, I travel often, and will be away more than the three times we are allowed to be absent.’

“My leader said, ‘Just come first.’”

After the first few sessions, Vivien found that she needed treatment for the cancerous lump—which meant that plans to travel were put on hold for at least a year.

She underwent a lumpectomy followed by a mastectomy.

“It was the perfect time to join BSF,” she says.

“Up till then, my knowledge of the Bible was from Sunday school stories. I didn’t understand the law, and Jesus’ sacrifice, and how it connected with the law of Moses,” she says.

“I attribute my growth in Christian maturity to BSF because of the detailed Bible study and especially the application to my Christian life. Sharing by the teaching leader and group members was always inspiring, and always pointed to the grace of God.” 

During BSF sessions, leaders would ask if anyone had any prayer requests.

“I had none. God was so good. I felt He had provided me with everything. Then suddenly, I thought to pray for my sister Sylvia, who hadn’t been attending church for many years.

“Shortly after the prayer, Sylvia agreed to come to BSF, and my group leader became a very good friend of hers as they attended the same church. The next year, she went on to become a group leader at BSF for the next 20 years.” 

Sylvia is 80 this year and serves actively at St George’s Church, which she attends with her son Bruno. 

Vivien also experienced “God’s goodness in providing the best care for me”.

“During my daily Bible reading when my fear of the future was greatest, He showed me verses that were comforting. They included Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV): ‘The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.’”

She did not know it at that time, but she was operated on by one of the first surgeons in Singapore to specialise in breast cancer.

She saw how God sent her books on breast cancer in an age before the internet and online searches were widely available. 

“I had to look around all the bookshops to find whatever few books had been written on cancer. Many books mentioned that it was important to take care of one’s spiritual life.”

On another occasion, Vivien was near home when she ran into a piano teacher she knew but seldom met.

“That day, she had on her a pocket Bible and a book of prayers, My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. She gave them to me. The book accompanied me on my road to recovery, and I also read the pocket Bible till the pages fell apart.”

God also sent a student who shared with her about natural health foods and brought her vitamins that the books on cancer had suggested.

“I felt like God sent me all this to help myself; doctors were no longer paying attention to me since I had opted out of having chemotherapy,” she says.

It has been almost 30 years since the diagnosis, and God has kept Vivien healthy and well.

Encouragers and Supporters

Vivien also saw God’s goodness through the provision of “supportive Christian friends” during her breast cancer journey—from her BSF group and WMC choirs such as the Dawnbreakers and Wesley Heralds.

“So many came around with food. This was especially helpful since I lived by myself. God taught me not to be afraid of accepting help gratefully, because He is the provider.”

Many friends also brought around cancer survivor friends to see Vivien. One survivor was a grandmother who was in her 70s. 

“All these survivors gave me hope that cancer was not a death sentence. My doctor had said that the most important thing is to give people hope when they are suffering.” 

Another survivor, Theresa Ng, became an encourager and good friend. She had been introduced to Vivien by Esther Chelliah, a pastoral team member in charge of visitations.

In 2012, the three women started the Wesley Breast Cancer Support Group (WBCSG), which is open to breast cancer patients and survivors from all backgrounds and faiths.

Vivien, a trained breast cancer counsellor, had previously volunteered at the Breast Cancer Foundation. She found out that she wasn’t allowed to share openly about God when supporting patients at a public hospital.

“God had played a big part in my healing journey. And I wanted to share about my Healer with others,” she says.

“There is a lot of fear when you are diagnosed. God is someone we can cling to. Whether you die or live, God is still there.”

With pastor in charge Rev Melvin Huang’s blessing, the WBCSG met monthly. 

The group is now open to women with other forms of cancer and has since been renamed Wesley Women’s Cancer Support Group. 

Vivien stepped down from the group in 2020 to return her focus to music. 

Creation Care

During recovery from treatment, Vivien started walking in parks to keep fit. 

Then, in 2023, she noticed that a new ministry—Creation Care—had sprouted up at WMC. 

When she found out that they were looking for guides to lead small groups of people on reflective walks¹³ at the adjacent Fort Canning Park, she signed up as a volunteer. 

“It combined my love for walking and love for guiding others to experience the power of God through His creation. We hope that by helping others appreciate nature, people would think about caring for God’s earth,” she says. 

Vivien’s first awareness of sustainability came through the practice of recycling, which she picked up on her annual trips to New Zealand.

Now she views caring for the environment through the lens of faith—by stewarding the earth and the resources that God has given us. It gives added meaning to Psalm 8, one of her favourite passages from the Bible, which she first heard of in the mid-1970s, long before creation care became a talking point in churches in Singapore.

“The Psalmist speaks about the heavens being God’s handiwork. It shows the majesty of God who created the earth and man. It really shows us how small we are compared to the whole of creation,” she says. “It puts us in our place!”