Finding harmony in everyday moments

The Shanghai Rainbow Chamber Singers perform a mini concert under the baton of founding director Jin Chengzhi (bottom left) at a Spring Festival event at Grand Gateway 66 Plaza in Shanghai on Feb 4.[Photo/China Daily]

From memories of childhood and loved ones to the pressures of urban white-collar workers and the casual incident of a forgotten room key, songs by the Shanghai Rainbow Chamber Singers have won wide resonance with audiences across China.

Since its founding in 2010, the choral group has been dedicated to the promotion of choral performances and exploring the boundaries of choral artistry. It has released dozens of albums and performed more than 150 live concerts in iconic music halls around China, such as the Beijing Concert Hall, Shanghai Oriental Art Center and Guangzhou's Xinghai Concert Hall in Guangdong province.

China Global Television Network, or CGTN, once praised the group as "the cultural voice for a new generation". In 2023, the group took second place at the Tolosa International Choral Competition in Spain.

Just before theChinese New Year, which fell on Feb 17, the group performed a mini concert at Grand Gateway 66 Plaza, as part of theSpring Festivalcelebration of jewelry brand Chow Sang Sang.

Before the event, the founding director of the chorus group, Jin Chengzhi, told China Daily about the group's musical journey and aspirations.

The Shanghai Rainbow Chamber Singers started as a choral group consisting of students from the conducting department of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, where Jin used to study. It has since evolved into a nonprofessional ensemble of almost 100 members, 80 of whom are singers, with others working in management and logistics. They are all seasoned chorus enthusiasts from diverse backgrounds nationwide.

"We have among our members music teachers, corporate workers, public servants, and businesspeople," Jin says. They meet up on weekends for rehearsals, music lessons and concerts. Last year alone, the ensemble performed around 30 concerts. "Some travel all the way from Nanjing (Jiangsu province), Xi'an (Shaanxi province) and Guangzhou every week for years. They have devoted more of their personal time to singing than any other hobby."

One of the sopranos, Zhang Jingjue, has been singing with the group for six years. A piano teacher and chorus coach herself, Zhang says she has gained a lot from the group that is different from her classical music training background. The most important thing she has learned is "how to combine chorus music with modern tunes, and how to make it popular while retaining a high professional level", she told China Daily. She noticed that many music groups in China have been exploring this aspect over the past decade, but few have done as well as the Rainbow Chamber Singers.

The Shanghai Rainbow Chamber Singers perform a mini concert under the baton of founding director Jin Chengzhi (bottom left) at a Spring Festival event at Grand Gateway 66 Plaza in Shanghai on Feb 4.[Photo/China Daily]

One of the group's defining characteristics is its focus on performing original compositions. Jin, as the founding conductor and resident composer, has contributed over 100 original choral works, including nine choral suites, featuring diverse styles and themes.

His most popular works use humor and emotion to portray the daily lives of contemporary urban Chinese youth.

More recently, his compositions have become theatrical expressions, his work evolving from choral suites to choral dramas.

FromA Trip to the White Horse VillagetoThe Star River Tavern: A Rediscoveryand the latest release in 2023,The Land of Luocha: Chapter of the Mountain, his recent works have taken on a new depth, exploring the integration of ethnic music and traditional Chinese orchestration with chorus.

With the help of video projections and recorded dialogues, these concert productions feature stories that reflect his thoughts about history, society and human existence.

Last year, Jin kicked off a new project composing music for300 Tang Poems, arguably the most celebrated collection of Chinese poetry from the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

He embarked on the ambitious project from a personal perspective, working on one poem after another, in the same order he learned them at school. "I can compose for no more than 20 poems every year, so by the time I have completed the whole series, I will have reached retirement age," says the 39-year-old composer.

"There will be solos, choruses, duets and Chinese instruments, such as the Chinese drums,pipa(a four-stringed Chinese lute), andsanxian(a three-stringed traditional lute). Maybe after finishing the whole collection, I will be able to present a showcase of all the major Chinese instruments."

Over the past decade, the Shanghai Rainbow Chamber Singers group has gained popularity and amassed millions of followers on various social media platforms. Meanwhile, Jin has seen that new chorus ensembles have mushroomed around China.

You don't have to be an exceptionally good singer to join a chorus, he says. "But if you come, you will experience the harmony. As long as you are ready to open yourself up and start singing, you will have fun and experience the positive feedback. As a result, more ensembles are being formed and more audiences are ready to get involved too. It has gradually developed into a positive progression."

The Shanghai Rainbow Chamber Singers perform a mini concert under the baton of founding director Jin Chengzhi (bottom left) at a Spring Festival event at Grand Gateway 66 Plaza in Shanghai on Feb 4. [Photo/China Daily]