Jasmine Meets Sakura
featuring
Vancouver Chinese Music Ensemble
with guest artists
Vancouver Oriental Philharmonic Choir and The Sakura Singers Sunday, November 11, 2018, 7:30 pm
The Annex (823 Seymour Street – 2nd floor)
General $25 / Students, Seniors, Artists $15
This cross-cultural collaboration will feature beautiful melodies from Japan and China, as two great choirs join with the Vancouver Chinese Music Ensemble for Jasmine Meets Sakura.
In particular, the Sakura Singers will be performing a choral arrangement of The Path of Wind from Hayao Miyazaki’s My Neighbor Totoro (1988), in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the animation classic, followed by the theme from Laputa: Castle in the Sky (1986) performed by VCME artistic director Jirong Huang on solo erhu. The program will also include Three Intermezzos, a contemplative look at Lower Mainland’s natural/semi-natural landscapes by VCME associate composer Alan Lau.
The Vancouver Oriental Philharmonic Choir was founded in September 2007 by director Tyler Xu, with the goal of creating a choir of high standards. Since then, the choir has expanded from 20 members to over 70, with capable singers carefully chosen through auditions. The VOPC has developed a diverse repertoire, including classic operatic choruses, art songs, traditional folk songs, and ethnic tunes from all over China. In 2013, the VOPC took part in the 3rd “Southern China Choral Arts Festival” in Hainan, where a multitude of accolades have been bestowed upon them. The recognition from the judges and audience has further encouraged the choir.
The Sakura Singers’ repertoire, mainly for mixed voice songs and choral suites, as well as folk songs, covers more than 250 Japanese songs. This unique chorus has introduced Japanese songs at commemorative ceremonies, community functions, and has also performed at hospitals and senior homes. The group has gone on tour and has held biennial concerts. The Sakura Singers continue to introduce Japanese culture to Canadian communities with songs of hospitality and congenial greetings in its endeavour to promote good will and mutual understanding.
Formed in 1989, Vancouver Chinese Music Ensemble is the first professional Chinese music group established in Canada. The ensemble performs an eclectic repertoire that embraces traditional Chinese and contemporary Canadian music. Its primary educational goal is to advance the understanding and appreciation of Chinese instruments, music and culture in Canada.
