Chuck Kuhn's Asia in Photos: Four countries unite in Christmas carols

Friday, December 5, 2008

Four countries unite in Christmas carols

Vietnamese singers and HCM City orchestra members will perform with their Canadian, Korean and Australian counterparts in a special music programme tonight at the city’s White Palace Convention Centre.

Holiday cheer: Maestro Simon Leung will join other musicians in the Global Echoes Christmas Concert. — VNS photo

The Global Echoes Christmas Concert will feature a combined performance of Canadian, Korean and Vietnamese choir and orchestra musicians, as well as soloists from Australia, Canada and Viet Nam under the baton of maestro Simon Leung.

The 94-member group will perform favourite pieces of Christmas music and popular songs of the festive season as well as highlights of Handel’s Messiah.

Born in Hong Kong, Simon Leung moved to Victoria via Ottawa and studied music at the University of Victoria and later worked with Paul Freeman, music director and conductor of the Victoria Symphony Orchestra.

He was the principal conductor of the Sooke Community Choir and the West Coast Chamber Orchestra, and is the founder and principal conductor of the West Coast Consort and Annual Victoria Summer concert.

Simon has performed in major cities in the US, Germany, Austria and Hong Kong, and is currently planning a choral concert tour with four performances in China including Beijing, Guangdong and Hong Kong next year.

Jointly organised by the Korean Association, the Consulate General of Canada and the White Palace Convention Centre, the Global Echoes Christmas Concert programme promotes international cultural exchange through music, according to Ly Cau Tay, acting general manager of the White Palace.

The programme will include three concerts with the grand opening tonight at 7.30pm at the White Palace in Phu Nhuan District.

A pre-concert buffet dinner at the centre will also be available from 5.30pm on the same day.

The other two concerts will take place at the HCM City Conservatory of Music and Saigon South International School tomorrow and Saturday, respectively.

Tickets for the concerts are US$10 and are available at the White Palace at 194 Hoang Van Thu Street in Phu Nhuan District. For tickets, call 0919058329.

(Source: Viet Nam News)

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They say "

“I can’t say what made me fall in love with Vietnam - that a woman’s voice can drug you; that everything is so intense. The colors, the taste, even the rain. Nothing like the filthy rain in London. They say whatever you’re looking for, you will find here. They say you come to Vietnam and you understand a lot in a few minutes, but the rest has got to be lived. The smell: that’s the first thing that hits you, promising everything in exchange for your soul. And the heat. Your shirt is straightaway a rag. You can hardly remember your name, or what you came to escape from. But at night, there’s a breeze. The river is beautiful. You could be forgiven for thinking there was no war; that the gunshots were fireworks; that only pleasure matters. A pipe of opium, or the touch of a girl who might tell you she loves you. And then, something happens, as you knew it would. And nothing can ever be the same again.”
― Graham Greene, The Quiet American

Tips on Travel to Vietnam

It's always warm in Southeast Asia apart from high mountains, so leave the heavy clothing at home. Cotton and breathable fabrics are always better than synthetics -- although cotton does wrinkle a lot when traveling! December through April is roughly the dry season in that region, although it can still rain a little. December is a good time to go in terms of temperature -- cooler than in the humid summertime. Either way, wearing more clothing (shirt sleeves and long pants) is always more respectful towards the Asian culture, especially when visiting temples and rural areas.