The 2019 China Children’s Choir Improvement Project, co-hosted by China Arts and Entertainment Group Ltd (CAEG) and the organizing committee of the China International Chorus Festival (CICF), was launched in Beijing on July 15.

Ten children’s choirs from Beijing, Tianjin, Chongqing, Shanxi, Guangxi, Liaoning, Guizhou and Shaanxi attended the activity. Topnotch experts from China, Russia, the US and Hungary are about to conduct professional trainings for the choirs in conducting, selection of songs, intonation, rhythm and stage performances in a bid to promote their comprehensive strength. What is worth noting is that three of the choirs are from impoverished areas of Shanxi Jingle, Guangxi Bama and Guizhou Wuchuan.

As a state-level international chorus exchange platform, the CICF has been adhering to the concept of inclusiveness and commonweal and has exerted a positive impact on society. Since 2012, the festival combined public welfare activity with culture-aid targeted poverty alleviation to promote the healthy development of teenagers from poor ethnic minority areas, according to Party Secretary and President of the CAEG Li Jinsheng. 

This year, the CICF has rolled out two quality poverty alleviation projects, the Chorus Volunteer Teaching Camp and the Children’s Choir Improvement Project, which have been well-received by the community.

The Chorus Volunteer Teaching Camp aims to help two children’s choirs from two national poverty-stricken counties, the Shanxi Jingle Aiyue Choir and the Guangxi Bama “Bunu Feige” Yao Ethnic Group Children’s Choir.

The Shanxi Jingle Aiyue Choir, which consists of around 50 left-behind children from Aiyue Hope Primary School, was founded by Li Ke, a committee member of the CICF and a famous mezzo-soprano in China National Symphony Orchestra. Started early this year, the CICF committee invited Li, young pianist Li Shuman and famous conductor Wang Jun to work as volunteer teachers in the school every two weeks. Up till now, the expert team has made about a dozen round-trips and the class hours have exceeded 120.

Dressed in their traditional folk costumes, children from the “Bunu Feige” Children’s Choir rehearse in the open air.

Guangxi Bama “Bunu Feige” Yao Ethnic Group Children’s Choir is comprised of 40 left-behind children from three local primary schools and its members cover several ethnic minority groups, including the Yao, Maonan and Zhuang. Since April this year, the choir has had two classes every week instructed by professional music teachers through mass learning and video methods.

Relying on the platform resources and teaching staff of the CICF, the Children’s Choir Improvement Project invited domestic and foreign choral experts and conductors in an aim to offer professional guidance and enhance the overall competence of the children’s choirs within the shortest time.

The CICF, together with the China Children and Teenagers’ Fund and the China Youth Development Foundation, raised about 650,000 yuan ($94,551) for 110 children and directors from three choirs in Shanxi, Guangxi and Guizhou. They were invited to Beijing to receive intensive training and visit Tian’anmen Square, the Palace Museum and the National Museum. On July 19, the ten children’s choirs held a special concert in the concert hall of the National Library to show the training results.

As of July 2019, with support from the China Children and Teenagers’ Fund, the China Youth Development Foundation and China Guanghua Foundation, the CICF had raised and invested nearly 3 million yuan, helped found 17 choirs and funded their participation in international choral communication activities. Over 650 people from impoverished areas in a dozen provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions have benefited from the activity.

 “2019 is a crucial year for winning the tough battle against poverty. The China International Chorus Festival launched chorus public welfare projects to contribute to culture-aid targeted poverty alleviation and philanthropy. In future, cultural and spiritual poverty alleviation are set to play a bigger role and the CICF will keep its cultural poverty relief work as a long-term priority,” Li jinsheng said.