Singers pitch in as Tibet celebrates

Children's ballad

Composer Gong Zihan wrote the song by combing lyrics in Mandarin and the Tibetan language.

"My Home is Shigatse was written particularly for the children's chorus. I had many phone calls with Xie and Wang when they were in Shigatse with the chorus. I wanted to capture the natural sounds of the chorus and portray this beautiful city with the song," said Gong, 32, who studied composing with musician Ye Xiaogang at the Central Conservatory of Music. Gong now works at this school.

The performance by the children's chorus also marked the launch of an arts festival by the conservatory, one of China's leading music schools. Over 20 days, students and teachers from the institution will travel to nine provinces, including Guizhou, Shaanxi, Zhejiang and Shanxi, as well as Ningxia Hui autonomous region and Tibet, to give performances, music workshops and training for children and adults.

In 2018, the conservatory collaborated with the Shanxi government to send more than 160 students and teachers to train over 600 music teachers in Lyuliang city. This year, the school is launching music education centers at some 8,000 schools in 832 counties nationwide.

Chen, the conductor, who teaches at the conservatory, said a group of students and teachers from the school traveled to Shigatse in March to discuss with the local government the idea of launching a children's chorus in the city.

"The school has a long tradition of traveling the country to research Chinese folk music and collaborating with local musicians on new works. We are also dedicated to offering music education to children in remote areas," Chen said.

"When we first arrived in Shigatse, we were not only impressed by the beautiful scenery, but also by the children, who love to sing and dance. They have exceptionally clear voices and their singing is very natural."