Upcoming festival celebrates Chinese choral singing

From Sept 24 to 28, the inaugural chorus festival of Hengdian will be held in Hengdian in the city of Dongyang in East China's Zhejiang province.

On April 27, the chorus festival was announced with a flash mob performance of the popular Chinese folk song Jasmine Flower at Beijing World Park.

Co-organized by China Chorus Association and the local government of Dongyang, the festival will bring a diversity of programs, such as performances, chorus competition, master classes and workshops.

Since Hengdian is known as the country's largest film and television shooting base, the festival will become an attraction for tourists and will feature film elements.

Veteran Chinese musicians will join in the festival, including conductor Zheng Xiaoying, who will serve as the festival's artistic director; conductor Wu Lingfen and tenor Dai Yuqiang, both serving as the president of the chorus competition's jury panel.

According to Dai, the festival will see marathon of performances by Chinese choirs. Marking the 110th anniversary of Chinese choral singing - which started in 1913 with a choral song, titled Chun You, written by Li Shutong - the festival will also have a forum to share the history and development of Chinese choral singing.