Tang poem performance builds bridge between cultures

LONDON — The opening melody of Jasmine Flower floated through the hall, delicate and lyrical, unfolding like a ribbon of light across the stage. It immediately set a poetic tone for the evening, inviting the audience to follow each note as it traced gentle curves in the air.

The concert titled Nihao! China — Echoes of Ancient Tang Poems, was organized by the China Association for International Cultural Exchange at King's Place in London on Wednesday, bringing together young musicians to perform works pairing Tang dynasty (618-907) verse with modern musical arrangements, with the stated aim of presenting Chinese literary heritage in forms accessible to international audiences.

Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom Zheng Zeguang attended and extended Chinese New Year greetings, quoting Tang poet Wang Bo — "Though miles apart, close friends feel like neighbors" — alongside a line from British poet Percy Bysshe Shelley: "If winter comes, can spring be far behind?" He said cultural exchange contributes to mutual understanding.

Staff and pupils from the Yehudi Menuhin schools of music in the United Kingdom and Qingdao presented a repertoire moving fluidly between Chinese and Western traditions. In addition to the folk song Jasmine Flower, the program included Pihuang, a composition drawing on musical elements of Peking Opera, alongside Western chamber works.

Several international vocalists performed Chinese poems, including Li Bai's Drink to Me, Luo Binwang's Singing of the Goose, and Gao Shi's Farewell to Dong Da, bringing the evening to a peak, with the audience clearly swept up in the performance. The evening reached its peak with the closing piece, From Jasmine Flower to Turandot, when all performers returned to the stage and the audience rose to join in a communal rendition of both songs.

Nearly 400 people attended the concert, including Ambassador Zheng and his wife, Counsellor Hua Mei, David Buckley, chair of the Menuhin School's board in the UK, Lyu Siqing, principal of the Qingdao Menuhin Music School, and Tian Haojiang, founder of the iSING! International Youth Singers Festival.