It was about 15 years ago that the Song Company last set foot on the Chinese mainland when we extended a trip to Hong Kong by going by train to the teeming and hugely polluted city of Guanzhou. It was a somewhat strange experience with the whole trip being chaperoned by two minders who never let us out of their sight. The concert was also strange in that the audience didn’t stop talking and obviously had no knowledge of Renaissance music.
So it was with a certain amount of trepidation that we stepped off the plane in Shanghai and into a waiting bus to take us to our first port of call – the provincial city of Hangzhou with a population of 6 million people some 3 hour’s drive away. I think 15 years has seen enormous changes in China and we were delivered to a very pleasant modern hotel in the middle of the city. The theatre complex was also a revelation. China has obviously taken the performing arts to its heart and as part of the modernisation process has built beautiful facilities.
First performances are always a little nerve-wracking and Hangzhou was no exception. We were to perform three Chinese songs as part of our programme and had absolutely no idea how they would be received. We needn’t have worried however and the audience even joined in with some spirited clapping. The rest of the programme was a breeze and the audience seemed to really enjoy it.
Next stop was the historic canal city of Suzhou. Once again a very comfortable hotel and lovely venue. Suzhou has some very old gardens and we asked our driver if we had enough time to visit one before driving back to Shanghai. We were taken to a 16th century garden hidden behind high walls. Although very crowded, it was still possible to experience the peace of this beautiful garden of lakes , trees and rocks; truly a living work of art.
Next stop Shanghai where we were performing at the Australian National Day at Expo. Despite a busy schedule we still found time for some sightseeing in this most cosmopolitan of Chinese cities. Taking our courage in our hands we decided to use the wonderful new metro system to get to the famous Bund where we did some window shopping and walking along the river.
Expo was a strange experience. We all had to leave the hotel at 7.15 a.m. to get to the Expo site and then spent the next 12 hours in the performance venue before we were bussed back to the hotel that night. During that time we mixed with rock stars and fellow classical artists and did two performances displaying the best of Australia! All in the distinguished presence of the Governor General.
We were all sad to leave Shanghai. The hotel, the food and the shopping were all great. However Beijing beckoned. Beijing is a very different kettle of fish. It is of course a vast modern city, but one doesn’t have to go far from one’s hotel to find the harsh underside. Just behind the facade of huge modern buildings were dirt streets of single storey dwellings with tin roofs held on by loose bricks. I took a trip down the road to Tiannenmen Square and thought sadly of the events of 20 years ago. It was difficult to believe; nowadays the place is full of tourists taking photos of each other.
I found Beijing more polluted than the other cities we had visited. After a couple of hours wandering round the Forbidden City I had a really sore throat. It’s not the best place for a singer to go for too long.
Whilst in Beijing we repeated our Expo performance in The Egg, the iconic performing arts centre in the city. What an experience and what a building!
The next day we did a lecture recital at the conservatorium of music after which the staff took us out for a memorable meal – 14 dishes in a private room – where I experienced my first Peking duck; wonderful.
Our last performance was in the Beijing Concert Hall and it was probably the best. The audience was large and enthusiastic and we were rewarded with a standing ovation.
China was a wonderful experience. It has changed enormously over the last few years; the people are welcoming, the towns are clean and modern , the food is marvellous and the performing venues have to be seen to be believed. We have made many new friends there and we look forward to returning at some point in the not-too-distant future.
