Published:
Chinese New Year has been celebrated by the University and the Confucius Institute for Business and Communication at the Edinburgh campus with a special concert to celebrate the Year of the Monkey.
The musical programme, titled 'Music is the bridge,' featured a repertoire of songs and music from around the world.
Rainbow Melody, a group of Chinese musicians from Tianjian University performed a variety of traditional Chinese pieces including Horse Racing played on an Erdu (Chinese violin), Drum Music featuring vocals by Yang Dehai and the popular Chinese folk song Jasmine Flowers. The seven person group played a range of traditional Chinese instruments including the Zither, Lute, Bamboo flute, Erdu, Zhonghu and Yangqui.
Heriot-Watt's a cappella choir 'Excelsior per cantum,' led by Musical Director Dr Steve King, performed a range of songs from around the world including Pokarekare, a popular Maori song from New Zealand and Lusty May from Scotland.
The concert was followed by a reception which featured a Chinese tea ceremony, calligraphy, refreshments and an exhibition showcasing Heriot-Watt's links with China.
President LI Wei'an and his colleagues and student musicians from our Confucius Institute partner, Tianjin University of Finance and Economics, Zhang Limin, Deputy Consulate General from the Chinese Consulate in Edinburgh, and Yan Li, First Secretary of Education from the Chinese Embassy in London, were all welcomed to the event by University Principal Professor Richard A Williams.
The concert itself was filmed and will be available to view online shortly.