On June 1st, under the bright sunshine without any wind or rain, it was a perfect day. Before 2:30 in the afternoon, a gathering of music enthusiasts from near and far took place at the Baptist Church in King City, Prussia. They were all there to enjoy the 36th anniversary concert of the Mingde Chorus, where new friends reunited and old friends met joyfully.
The Mingde Chorus started as a “Mom Chorus” where members took turns practicing singing at each other’s homes before officially expanding into the Mingde Chorus in 1988. Over the years, with efforts from various conductors, accompanists, and group leaders, they have grown and gained much acclaim. They have been invited to participate in various events, such as the 50th anniversary concert of the victory of the Anti-Japanese War held at the Lincoln Center in New York in 1995, the 125th anniversary commemorative concert at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia in 1995, and the Tri-State Chorus Association performance in North New Jersey. They were also invited to perform at the “Ma Sicong Centennial Commemorative Concert” at West Chester University Music Hall in April 2013.
In recent years, under the guidance of conductor Zhang Rujing, the chorus has selected a variety of songs in different languages, including art songs, folk songs, ballads, popular songs, as well as religious, pop, and classic opera songs, making their repertoire rich and diverse, and very popular.
During this performance, the female group members wore elegantly designed plain cheongsam-style new uniforms specially made from Hong Kong, presenting a refreshing look. Especially when three of the members danced as the “Three Beauties from School,” their lively and graceful dance moves were a delightful surprise. Who would have imagined that they were grandmothers, including Pitti-Sing with her three lovely granddaughters present?
On that day, Xie Ji, President of the Greater Philadelphia Taiwan Association (Overseas Chinese Affairs Committee), and the couple Huang Xiaofang came to congratulate and present flowers to the conductor. Furthermore, it was a rare occasion to have the inaugural members of the Mom Chorus, Chen Wuqing, Lin Shaoguang, and former members of Mingde, Li Yanhui (inaugural), Ye Xuejiao, Wen Xinji, Lin Chunrong, Dou Gongbao, Li Lingling, all in attendance. Dr. Li Yanhui specially wrote the lyrics for the “Mingde Chorus Anthem” (with the characters “Ming,” “De,” “He,” “Chang,” “Tuan” appearing at five different places) to celebrate the 36th anniversary of Mingde’s establishment.