On March 1st at 3:00 pm, the JHF Chorus (Jing Yu Dian Harmony Foundation Chorus) will be hosting their 2nd Choral Music Concert at the First United Methodist Church of Palo Alto in Palo Alto, CA. The address is 625 Hamilton Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94301.
The J&H Foundation, a nonprofit organization established in 2012 with a focus on caring for health and serving the community, aims to enhance intergenerational exchanges, promote culture, and improve the quality of life in the Chinese community through charitable activities. The JHF Chorus was formed in 2018 to provide a platform for Bay Area choral enthusiasts to engage in music exchange and learning. Their 2022 concert “In This Life” received high praise for its delicate tones and beautiful interpretations.
Founder of the J&H Foundation, Xu Beichen, shared that after his parents moved to the United States and lived in a senior apartment where the predominant culture was Mexican, they felt a sense of loneliness. This inspired him to establish the foundation to provide opportunities for Chinese elderly to connect with their compatriots and actively promote the inheritance of Chinese culture. He also expressed the importance of cultural heritage, highlighted by the fact that his daughter, while fluent in Mandarin, could not read or write Chinese.
This year, the JHF Chorus will present the concert “On the Wings of Song,” featuring diverse styles including German Romanticism, original Taiwanese compositions, local folk song adaptations, jazz swing, and Disney classics. The performance will showcase a variety of languages including English, Mandarin, Taiwanese dialects, Hakka, and Indigenous languages, demonstrating rich cultural diversity.
An interesting aspect of this performance is the intergenerational collaboration model involving choir members, conductors, accompanists, and program hosts from different age groups of music enthusiasts. The foundation hopes that through this concert, audiences of all generations can experience the charm of choral music, promoting cultural integration and inheritance.
Music Director Zhuang Shufen emphasized the importance of preserving traditional Chinese culture by inviting second-generation Taiwanese Americans to participate, aiming to promote community integration through artistic activities and serve as a platform for cultural inheritance. She also noted that the uniqueness of the JHF Chorus lies in its flexible ensemble construction, which recruits members based on performance needs rather than having a fixed group.
This concert will utilize multimedia to present background information on the musical pieces, providing the audience with a more immersive musical experience. Tickets are now available for pre-sale:
Pre-sale tickets: $25;
At the door: $30
For ticket inquiries, please contact:
Official Website: https://tickets.JHFoundationusa.com
Contact Person: Chinjen Huang (Event Coordinator)
Phone: 484-238-2702
Email: [email protected]
Due to limited seating, it is recommended that audience members purchase tickets in advance. For those purchasing at the door, please arrive early to ensure smooth entry. All music enthusiasts are warmly invited to join and enjoy a captivating musical feast. ◇