Tour update from Quanzhou

South Shore Orchestra is almost through their seven concert tour of China performing the universal language of music for Chinese audiences from several regions surrounding Shanghai and also south near Quanzhou. 

SSO members sporting their new red scarves.

Their music has been received with great appreciation and they have engaged many warm smiles and gestures of friendship. Each concert has a unique memorable attachment--in Anji a local erhu player joined their performance and the local host/sponsor gave each member of the touring group a red scarf as a token of friendship and celebratory New Years greetings. Since that first performance, the orchestra has proudly worn them every performance as a token of gratitude and a symbol of why they have all come here--to share the universal language of music through each others cultural heritage.

Troy and Natalie larger than life at Yangzhou!

In Yangzhou, north of the Yangtse River, the group was welcomed by a huge wall sized outdoor banner with Maestro Troy Webdell and soprano soloist Natalie Mann hovering over the SSO. The full bodied sound that emerged within this new theatre was quite extraordinary--resultant from collective expertise and collaborative rehearsal focus.

Xiaoshan was the site of their first New Year's celebration--the more vintage concert hall performance was hosted by a mobile phone company for their clients, employees and families--afterwards SSO celebrated with sparkling wine and shared reflections about the amazing opportunity to experience this cultural exchange while doing something they love--making music. 

A tunnel of applause greeted us in Quanzhou.

Traveling to Quanzhou by bullet train gave the group a chance to relax after the early morning wake-up call to get to the station on time in Hangzhou. Transporting 93 people in unison to each destination began as a challenge--but lately getting as harmonious as their musical orchestration. They acknowledge a second New Year’s being celebrated by their friends back home--we are 14 hours earlier than NW Indiana. Later, SSO arrives at their venue to a “tunnel of welcoming applause” by the multiple community choirs that will perform two songs with them this evening--it was a sight to behold! Each of the choirs--children's chorus, youthful girls, and men and women's groups were costumed and beautifully dressed to mark this occasion of New Year's celebration.