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British Artists Perform with Vocal Instruments
The Swingle Singers, a British troupe which uses their voices as instruments, staged an unaccompanied concert Monday in Beijing, for the 4th Beijing Music Festival.
During the concert, the eight singers' voices become a symphony orchestra, a big band, a cathedral organ and a rock group, performing pop music and 17 classical masterpieces, including Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, Mozart's Overture to "The Magic Flute" and Chopin's Prelude in E Minor.
The highlight of the concert was Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture", with the singers simulating the sound of guns and cannons. The troupe also performed a traditional Chinese song, "Farewell, My Love".
According to the organizer, Beijing Capital Entertainment Management Co. Ltd., the troupe was formed in 1963 and gives more than 150 concerts worldwide each year.
The versatile troupe, which transcends traditionally accepted musical boundaries, has won five US Grammy Awards, and the All Music Award established by Johnny Dankworth and Cleo Laine.
The music gala, which opened on October 15 and is to end on November 8, has invited 1500 artists from China and 14 other countries, to stage operas, symphony orchestras, chamber music, Chinese folk music, hi-fi concerts and a Children's concert.
This annual music event, co-sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and the Beijing municipal government, has been held three times since 1998, attracting a total of 7,000 artists from home and abroad staging nearly 100 performances.
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