On September 29, a symphonic chorus concert was held at Tianjin University, one of a series events celebrating the upcoming opening of the 19th CPC National Congress.
Ren Baoping, a famous conductor, Vice President of the China Chorus Association, and Director of Peiyang Arts Troupe at Tianjin University, pianist Wen Yuchuan with the Peiyang Chorus and the Symphony Orchestra of the Peiyang Arts Troupe and the Clover Chorus of the School of Architecture of Tianjin University produced a performance feast for freshmen.
Peiyang Chorus started with a song titled “To the sea”, a mixed voice chorus independently created by Peiyang Chorus in celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the return of the Hong Kong to China. The catchy music, far-reaching conception, exquisite artistry, and rich musical language recreated Hong Kong’s culture and its people’s spirit. This performance earned the audience’s warm applause.
The following song “Mo Shang Sang” is a classical tune of Peiyang Chorus, a desolately sorrowful and mournful song with a tune of innumerable twists and turns.
The next songs were “Big Fish” and “Small Stream”. The rhythm is comforting and slow and the crooning took the audience deep into the forest, watching clear streams and appreciating the fish happily playing.
In the performance of the song “Tres Cantos Nativos”, the audience joined with the chorus to perform the song together. They imitated the rain and thunder by fingers snapping, hands clapping and skipping. The performance brought the audience into the jungle with heavy rain, experiencing nature through the performance.
The song “Beauty of Tianjin University”, created by Tianjin University people, expressed the beauty and deep love of Tianjin University, capturing the idea that “a university’s beauty lies in the cultivation of the people”.
“The Goslings” and “Bogoroditse Devo” are two choruses without accompaniment, its beautiful and mystical tones spreading across the stage.
The song “I like” touched the inner hearts of the audience. Another song, adapted from Li Qingzhao’s “Like a dream”, was visually-inspired. The melodious score took the audience to the beautiful regions south of Changjiang River.
In the second half, the Peiyang Symphony Orchestra, the Peiyang Chorus and the Cover Chorus performed the symphony chorus “University”, the first symphony chorus piece with the theme of ‘the university’ in China. It created the effect of shocking through its simplicity. The changeable rhythm illustrated the colorful campus life and the spirit of the times. Its magnificent vision extended the Chinese universities’ spirit to all the world’s universities.
At the end of the performance, everyone sang the university anthem together, pushing the concert’s atmosphere into an even higher level.
By: Ci Maxiang, Sun Xiaofang
Editors: Yin Shiyu and Ross Colquhoun
