Thaindian News

New Delhi, April 21 (IANS) Lush, landscaped parts of the Purana Qila - the 16th century Old Fort in the capital - reverberated with the divine melody of Buddhist music as a Chinese festival began in India.
The concert was held in the capital Tuesday.

“The Harmony of the Divine Land” - a symphony of Buddhist chants and hymns from China - was a combination piece that blended religious music with conventional classical orchestra music to produce unique melodies that reflected the Chinese ethos and its people.

It was performed by the Shenzhen Symphony with choral and soprano musicians from Shanghai’s leading opera houses and the Shanghai Chorus of Shenzhen Hongfa Monastery. The crew comprised professional orchestra musicians and Buddhist monks.

The concert was presented by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China and the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China.

It was created to give an artistic expression to the universal harmony and brotherhood of the spirited essence of Chinese Buddhism.

The symphony was first presented in Shanghai at the concluding ceremony of the World Buddhist Forum in 2006 and later at the National Theatre of China in Beijing and overseas in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Germany.

The presentation, the organisers said, was a tribute to the birthplace of Buddha and the time-tested ties between the people of China and India, which dates back to centuries.

The Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra was set up in 1982. It has a repertoire of more than 80 symphonies and over 100 Chinese and foreign outstanding music works.

Since 1987, the orchestra has performed in Hong Kong, Jiangxi, Sichuan and Hubei to widespread acclaim.