New choir hits the high notes for Party's anniversary

Under the baton of conductor Zheng Jian, the all-male Beijing Master Choir performed patriotic and folk songs during a performance at the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing on March 7. This kicked off a series of concerts celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China.

The repertoire included classics such as, Sing a Folk Song to the Party, which was first released in 1963 and written by Zhu Jian'er and Jiao Ping; Song of the Red Star, which was featured in the 1974's Chinese movie Sparkling Red Star, directed by Li Ang and Li Jun; and Nanniwan, which was released in 1943 and written by He Jingzhi and Ma Ke.

"These songs are timeless and well-known among Chinese music lovers. We've rearranged them for the choir, whose performance gives them a fresh new sound," says Zheng.