"Look up at the skies! And heeere they come!"

Moments after William Xavier’s iconic command booms across the National Day Parade (NDP) venue, fighter jets from the Republic of Singapore Air Force soar overhead in a bomb burst manoeuvre.

The signature aerial display at every NDP sees a tight formation of aircraft suddenly fan out in different directions, like fireworks exploding in the sky.

Down in the stands, heads tilt upwards and arms shoot up, phones poised, mouths agape, as the planes thunder above. The magic is fleeting, but real.

And Xavier, affectionately known as Mr X, has been ushering in this spectacle since 1998.

As the parade’s official emcee and “Voice of NDP”, anyone who has watched the show – even just a rehearsal – would recognise his deep baritone. He’s not seen on st

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