On Saturday, the musical cultures of the East blended harmoniously with the music of the West. Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra celebrated those two musical traditions with a special concert called “East Meets West” at St. Paul’s L’Amoreaux Anglican Church in Scarborough. The concert was well-attended by music lovers from both the Chinese and Western communities and featured a fantastic selection of music from both traditions.
Among the performers was Toronto soprano Yiping Chao, whose pure and bright voice moved the audience deeply. Ms Chao performed three traditional Chinese folk songs: two versions of” Embroidering a Pouch”, one from Shanxi province and one from Yunnan province, as well as the song “Lovesick” from Xinjiang. In addition, Ms Chao performed two Chinese art songs: “Beloved Father” and “Qomolangma” from Tibet.
The orchestra enjoyed tremendous support from many people in Chinese community and there were several honoured guests. The Consulate of the People’s Republic of China was represented by Mr. Zhong, Miss Yang attended from the Beijing Association and Dr. Liang, Chairman of the Chinese Artists Society was also present. The orchestra hopes for continued cooperation and support from the Chinese community in the future and is considering other performances featuring the music of the East.
