More than 60 members of the Boston
Children’s Chorus (BCC) from the US participated in home stays with Vietnamese
family hosts during their visit to the country, the first destination of their
Southeast Asia tour.
“This year
is the 10th anniversary for the BCC. We wanted to go to a special place for
international travel, so we decided the South East Asia trip to Vietnam and
Cambodia will be very special because of the amazing history,” said Ben Hires,
BCC’s program director.
 |
| The family of Tina Nguyen posed for a photo with
(from L)Nora, Lydia, Valentina, and Amechi before the four BCC members entered
stage at HCMC Opera House on June 26, 2013. |
The
chorus’s members said staying with local family hosts is a great way for them
to explore Vietnamese culture. “We decided to choose homestay to connect to
culture. That is kind of a cultural exchange. Our trip to Vietnam is
incredible,” 17-year-old Lydia Guterman, a BCC member, told Tuoi Tre.
“It’s
amazing and here is so different from the US in such a good way. This place is
a beautiful place and everyone is so friendly. I’m having a really fun time,”
said Nora Telford, another BCC member. Nearby, Ateha Bailly, 16, shared his
feelings about his first trip to Vietnam: “It’s a very beautiful place. This is
a lifetime experience, something I may never again get to do.”
Artist
Nguyen Huu Thi Nga, also known as Tina Nguyen, owner of the Faifoo
Boutique in Binh Thanh District, took care of five BCC members at her
residential house to exchange culture and introduce them to typical Vietnamese
traditional instruments like dan tranh (16-chord zither) and dan bau
(monochord).
“We are
very much inspired by Vietnamese traditional musical instruments [dan tranh and
dan bau]. The sound is very beautiful. It’s incredible,” they said.
The BCC
singers also enjoyed sightseeing around HCMC and visited some historical sites
and museums during their stay in the city.
To repay
the hosts for their warm welcome, the BCC singers performed a Vietnamese folk
song titled “Qua cau gio bay” during their free concert at the HCMC Opera House
on June 26, which drew loud applause from the audience.
“All of us
like to learn some Vietnamese, and some Vietnamese people in Boston came to
help. It is hard at first because it has six different sounds for every vowel.
So we have to practice it every second we have to learn the song,” a BCC member
said.
The chorus
also entertained the audience with other famous choral pieces like ‘We Sing’,
‘Africa’, ‘Dreams’ and ‘Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Round’.
“We’re
hoping to not only bring music to Vietnam but also to bring culture back to the
US,” said BCC Artistic Director Anthony Trecek-King.
Dam Duc Anh, a representative of Tran Nhan Tong Academy, based in
Hanoi, which is the main sponsor of the BCC’s trip, said: “The Boston
Children’s Chorus is known as the ambassador of harmony. They harness the
power and joy of music to unite our city's diverse communities and inspire
social change. So we invited them to Vietnam to convey the humane message of
music as well as to know more about the land and people here.”
The BCC, a multi-racial, multi-ethnic arts education organization that
unites Boston area children from ages 7-18 from different races, religions
and economic levels, presents 50 performances per season in a wide range of
public and private events across the city of Boston and around the world.
Source: http://www.vietnamtourism.gov.vn
