Looking Back on the 2012 Harmonizer Trip to China

The Alexandria Harmonizers experienced a fantastic trip-of-a-lifetime in China!  We left on September 2^nd for seven-, nine-, twelve- or fifteen-day tours depending on the trip package offered by the tour company, SNA.

About sixty Harmonizers went on the trip along with many family members and guests. The entire group was about 160 people.

The chorus sang for two China audiences.  We performed a short concert that was arranged for us on The Great Wall, which included a spot for a pickup quartet THE GREAT WALL OF SOUND with Randy Lazear, Joe Cerutti, Ken Ives and Steve White.

Tourists at the wall were given a show package with “Great Day,” “I’m The Music Man”, “Sweet Georgia Brown’, “Rainbow Sisters” – a Chinese folk song, and “I’ll Be Seeing You.” Surrounded by the awesome sights of the Great Wall of China, it was an experience that will not soon be forgotten.

On Thursday, Sept. 6^th, we performed an evening concert at the Peoples Concert Hall, located in the Forbidden City.  It was a gorgeous space with crustal-clear acoustics.  We were joined by fellow barbershoppers from Toronto Northern Lights for this show.

The Harmonizers sang a 40-minute package, Toronto sang a 30 minute package, and the two choruses sang together for several songs.  Both choruses had learned a song from each other and both learned the traditional Chinese folk song, “Rainbow Sister” that was very well received by the audiences.  The primarily Chinese audience clapped along in time with the combined choruses.

After five days in Beijing, some Harmonizers returned home while others traveled on to experience more of China.  Those that continued saw the Terra Cotta Warriors, near Xi’ An, the iconic limestone karst formations in the Giulin province, an overnight stay in a mountain lodge in the village of Ping’ An, and visits to the cities of Shanghai and Hong Kong.

An estimate of the entire party suggests that after the 160 started in Beijing, 75 were in Xi’ An; 37 in Giulin; 17 in Shaghai; and 7 in Hong Kong  Also Craig Kujawa and Ken Rub went early and visited some other places, like Lijiang, Dali, and Shangri La.

Until next time – editorjack!

(This message is prepared for your review if you were there, for your information if you had to miss, and as a historical record of the great things going on with the Alexandria Harmonizer Chapter. —YeEd.)