Churches in Fujian Province on the southeast coast of China started sacred music training courses and held a folk music sharing lecture with a concert of outstanding original sacred music pieces.
To improve sacred music ministry, Xiamen CC&TSPM launched the first session of sacred music training as planned on April 18, according to the Sacred Music Committee of Xiamen CC&TSPM.
Experienced teachers and professors from churches in Xiamen will teach basic theory, voice lessons, and conducting in this program at the office of the Xiamen CC&TSPM. There will be 10 lessons for each subject, with more than 40 members from 12 churches in Xiamen having signed up.
Fujian Provincial Ethnic and Religious Affairs Committee and Fujian Theological Seminary jointly held a folk music-sharing session on April 6, during which Lin Jia, a flute performer and the national intangible culture inheritor of Chinese traditional music, was invited to give a lecture, according to CCC&TSPM.
To promote the sinicization of church music, the ethnic and religious affairs committee presented the seminary with a Guzheng (Chinese plucked zither) and a Pipa (Chinese lute) with a total worth of 10,000 yuan.
In the sharing session, Lin Jia performed various folk music instruments for the audience, including Xun (a globular and vessel flute), Xiao (a phoenix flute), and Dizi (a bamboo horizontal flute). Professor Mei Xiao showed attendees the new versions of several famous songs, such as "Quiet Night Thought" and "Vain Longing."
On April 15, Fujian CC&TSPM held the 3rd concert of outstanding original sacred music pieces at the chapel of the seminary.
Different from the previous two concerts, the groups who performed these pieces in the 3rd concert were all choirs, folk bands, and choruses from grassroots churches in Fujian, including Fuzhou Huaxiang (Flower Lane) Church, Fuzhou Mawei Church, Fuzhou Fishery Church, Pingtan Chengguan Church, and Putian Meifeng Church.
Among the 15 pieces of works in this concert, most were original Chinese folk songs.
- Translated by Kristina Ran
