Main Street performs with Chinese orchestra

The Main Street Singers performed with the Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra on Tuesday, October 6 in Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco.

The Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra is a world-renowned group based out of Xiamen, a large city in southern China. Main Street has previously performed a concert with the orchestra during their tour in China last year.

“I was excited because in China we performed [Mozart’s] ‘Missa Brevis’ with them, and they were incredible,” senior Daniel Tsai said. “I was looking forward to Tuesday’s performance to hear them play some of their pieces.”

The Xiamen Orchestra discovered that it would be traveling throughout the western United States last spring. They then called Main Street Director Mark Shaull to request that the two groups perform together in October.

“For us, [it was] a big honor to have another opportunity to sing with [the Xiamen Philharmonic],” Shaull said. “It’s a chance to exchange music through friendship.”

Main Street sang one song, the “Symphonic Tone Poem from the Hakka People” during the concert while the orchestra played. The song is in the Hakka dialect of Chinese.

Main Street began practicing the song while at camp about a month before the concert. They continued to rehearse during class the weeks before the concert.

The Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra arrived in San Francisco on Saturday, October 3. Main Street ran through the song with the orchestra once in Davies Symphony Hall the afternoon before the concert.

According to Shaull, the chance to sing in Davies Symphony Hall was an honor.

“The opportunity to sing in Davies Symphony Hall is an opportunity not many groups have,” Shaull said. “It’s a chance to sing in [one of] the biggest halls in the world.”

The concert lasted about two-and-a-half hours and Main Street listened to the Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra play a variety of songs, including one in which a man blew on a leaf to make music.

“Symphonic Tone Poem from the Hakka People” was the final song the Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra performed. Main Street sang from a balcony behind the orchestra and clapped along to their music.

“We were above and behind the orchestra,” Daniel said. “We were probably not at the place with the best sound.”

However, Main Street members still managed to enjoy the concert.

“I thought [performing in Davies Symphony Hall] was a good experience,” Daniel said. “It went well, and I thought [our song] was a good way to end the night. The audience even joined in with the clapping.”