未来属于孩子--写在中国交响乐团附属少年及女子合唱团建团25周年之际

The Future Belongs to the Children:Written on the Occasion of the 25^(th) Anniversary of the Establishment of the Children and Young Women's Choir of China National Symphony Orchestra

2008年12月21日，这一天是冬至，也是入冬以来北京最冷的一天。凛冽的寒风刺骨地吹，但很多人依然冒着严寒兴致勃勃地赶往皇城脚下的中山公园音乐堂参加中国交响乐团附属少年及女子合唱团建团25周年音乐会，分享孩子们的快乐。

December 2^(st),2008.It was the coldest day in Beijing since the winter came.However,the Forbidden City Concert Hall still saw so many people coming to the concert in celebration of the 25^(th) anniversary of the world famous Children and Young Women's Choir of the China National Symphony Orchestra. A big audience filled the concert hall.They came to share the happiness of the children and the entire concert show was so impressive that,to a spectator like me who has enjoyed their shows for several times,each image of their wonderful performance would remain in my mind,so unforgettable and so striking. The choir was founded in 1983 by Prof.Yang Hongnian,music educator at the Central Conservatory of Music.He and his family have devoted so much to the development of the choir.The past 25 years saw its growth from the birth to today's fruitful achievements,with both joys and tears,but always persistent in pursuing their dream. Shortly before the concert started,Li Lanqing,former Chinese Vice-Premier,sent his message for the choir:'Developing the choral art to raise the general quality of the youth and enrich the cultural life of the society.'This is not only an encouragement,but also a real portrait of the choir itself.Yang's wife,Prof.Tang Chongqing,the choir's artistic director,also a musician,unveiled some untold stories about the choir to the audience at the concert hall.Over the past 25 years,the choir has brought music and love to almost every corner of the world.As early as in 1987,the choir participated in the 3rd International Children's Choir Festival in Washington D.C.where they received the Diploma of Highest Appreciation with signature of the former US President Ronald Reagan.This marks the beginning of their world tours of singing as little ambassadors of peace,friendship and love. The choir has given nearly 600 shows for the past twenty years in such countries as Hungary,Austria,Japan,Singapore,Monaco,Italy, Sweden,Russia,Germany,Korea and Canada,as well as the region of Taiwan where they were praised as'the common pride of the Chinese people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait'.The choir has so far won eight prizes at international contests,including four great prizes at the 44th International Polyphonic Contest'Guido d'Arezzo'in Italy in 1996,the only Special Prize at the Moscow Young Talents Music Festival in honouring the 200th Birthday of Alexander Pushkin and the First Prize'Golden Tuning Fork'at the First International Chorus TV Contest in Russia in 1999.Moreover, they visited Monaco and Moscow together with the Chinese delegation for bidding for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games,and in particular,66 members of the choir sang the Olympic Hymn a cappella at the Opening Ceremony of the 29th Summer Olympiad in Beijing on August 8,2008,winning great attention from all over the world. Apart from international chorus festival and concert shows,the choir has also attended numerous charity performances for the Project Hope,the SOS Orphans' Village and foreign elderly houses as well as reform centres.These regularly held charity concerts fulfilled the very objective of the choir for'love and contribution'. The young singers of the group enjoy not only the joy of the music,but also the charms of the music. One member said that'the choir helps me feel the happiness and sentiment that can never be described in words,and makes me touched in the cleanest and also the most sensitive heart,and this state of being touched helps me understand that I can have something that I believe in,something from the bottom of my heart rather than a particular person or deity or any doctrine or argument.'The choir is thus filled with love and care just as the teachers love the children and vice versus. When I listened to their beautiful songs at the concert, I read the exquisite Souvenir Book in Celebration of the 25th Anniversary,which reminds me of all the footsteps that the choir has left in its history,of its glory,and the flowers and applause that it has received as well as great efforts and contributions it has made.'The choral art is not only a criterion for measuring the music level of a nation,but also the best means to improve the music education of its citizens.'(Wang Cizhao,'Prelude'to the book The Art of Chorus Training).At 25,the choir is still in its youth.Let us hope that the children grow up in the coming years with more beautiful songs!