White Horse legend gallops into the present on talent show

Ancient legends can enjoy another lease of life, and reach new generations, when their tales are adapted for a modern audience. The Song of the White Horse exemplifies how true this is. The classic poem was written more than 1,800 years ago by Cao Zhi, the son of Cao Cao, a powerful warlord during the Three Kingdoms (220-280) period. It vividly depicts a fearless warrior vowing to sacrifice everything for his country and save it from the ravages of invaders.

On April 30, the masterpiece got a new musical rendering in the finale of the popular variety show Bravo Youngsters, a 10-episode program which aired on multiple platforms, including several channels of China Central Television. More than 190 musical works were performed on the show.

As one of 35 young contestants selected from around 50,000 candidates from home and overseas, Huang Zihongfan, a 22-year-old student of Berklee College of Music in the United States, employed Western techniques to sing the poem.