Knot over the Straits
By Zhao Jing & Vivian Zhang
Photos by Yao Fan

厦门星海合唱团和台湾新竹合唱团, 跨越一湾浅浅的海峡, 相聚在纪念抗战胜利60周年全国合唱展演上, 并缔结姐妹团. 双语周刊为了解其来龙去脉, 专程采访力促此事的"媒人"郭孟雍先生.

August 11th, 2005 seemed to be more than just Chinese Valentine's Day for both Xinzhu Choir, Taiwan, and Xinghai Choir, Xiamen. On the eve of the opening of the China National Choir Contest in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Anti-Japanese War, members of the two choirs said hello to each other with beautiful songs. When choir members from Xinzhu began to sing Wang Chun Feng, a well-known folk song sung in the South Fujian dialect, it immediately brought the people closer together. "The same dialect we speak reminds us that we are rooted in the same culture." The leader of Xinzhu Choir said.

The announcement of teaming up as "sister choirs" highlighted the first meeting of choir members from both sides of the Straits. Leaders of the two choirs did not forget to express their deep gratitude to the "match-maker", Professor Guo Mengyong, for without whose efforts, the so called "sister knot" would not have been tied .

Judging from the following interview by Common Talk, it is not exaggerating to call Professor Guo Mengyong, presently the art director of the Taipei Artists Choir, chief executive of the Artists Culture and Education Fund of Taipei, and the guest conductor of the China National Orchestra Choir, the "match-maker" for the two choirs.



Q: Professor Guo, how and when did you come to know of Xinghai Choir, Xiamen?

A: I was once the guest conductor of the China National Orchestra Choir. I did not know of Xinghai Choir until I came to Xiamen with CNOC a couple of years ago. Then I began to do some conducting for them from time to time. It is a great choir and I am happy to see it growing.

Q: We were very impressed by the passion shown in your conducting.. What do you think music can do for communication between people?

A: I have always believed that music is made for people. Basically, human nature is universal, and music is something that we all have in common. The moment people understand your music, the interaction takes place. Personally I don't really see any difference between classical and pop music. If you love it then it is good for you, no matter what kind of category it falls into. Music can play an important part in breaking the ice and laying the foundation stone of understanding. As a matter of fact, I have been giving performances in different countries conducting both Chinese and non-Chinese choirs. I think I have learnt a lot about people. Music is, to some extent, an interaction between hearts. People touched by a certain piece of music find it easier to get close to each other.

Q: You have been called a "match-maker" this evening. How did you come up with the idea to be a match-maker across the Straits?

A: As well as the choirs from Chinese Mainland, choirs from Taiwan and Hong Kong were also invited to perform in the contest. When I recommended Xinzhu Choir to take part, I came up with the idea: why not help the two choirs to become "sister choirs" to further the communication between the two? By communication I mean artistic communication. On the other hand, I do believe artistic communication can solve some problems and settle confrontations in a certain way.

Q: Since the contest is held in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Anti-Japanese War, we would like to know if you are familiar with these anti-Japanese songs.

A: Quite familiar! The fact is, we are all Chinese and the Anti-Japanese War used to be the one cause we all fought for. The songs on the program list are not new at all to Taiwanese people. They can be heard on many occasions in Taiwan. It is part of our history and one cannot just forget about it.

Q: Will Xinzhu Choir compete for awards?

A: Winning awards was not the aim of Xinzhu Choir . They came to Xiamen to perform and communicate with other choirs, not to compete. The purpose of inviting them is to exchange ideas regarding singing techniques and the ways of operating a choir. It is more important to learn from each other. Choir members from both sides of the Straits will have the opportunity to find out how things are going with their counterparts. Hopefully a mutual improvement will be seen.


郭孟雍: 台北艺术家合唱团艺术总监, 艺术家文教基金会执行长, 北京国家交响乐合唱团常期客座指挥.

Vocabulary
dialect 方言
exaggerating 夸张的
interaction 相互作用
mutual 互相的