URUMQI, Xinjiang, China — Government and Xinjiang University officials praised the BYU-Hawaii Concert Choir and new-found friends bid a touching farewell after the group's second and final performance in this far-western city where approximately half of the people are ethnic Uyghurs of Turkic heritage.
The 62-voice choir, under the direction of BYU-Hawaii music professor Michael Belnap, presented both classical and more popular literature during their performance — including Hawaiian, Samoan and Maori numbers, each accompanied by its respective Polynesian dance — and particularly thrilled the capacity audience in the Xinjiang People's 2,800-seat Great Hall with two Mandarin Chinese selections and a Uyghur folk song. The Uyghur student art club from Xinjiang University, who earlier held a cultural exchange with their BYU-Hawaii counterparts, also performed during the concert.
BYU-Hawaii is sponsoring the choir tour from May 7-29, 2007, to celebrate completing 25 years of friendship with the People's Republic of China, perhaps best typified by the joint BYUH/Polynesian Cultural Center Asian Executive Management internship program. Alumni from the program are helping with logistics for the choir, which will also present concerts in Xi'an, Beijing, Tianjin and Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
"I was very impressed, not only because of the performance, but also because of the spirit and ability of the BYU-Hawaii students to interact with the audience," said Mr. Karesh, Vice Governor of Xinjiang, speaking through an interpreter. "I will remember this performance forever, and I believe the audience will, too. I can see that your students gave us their real love."
He added he was "very surprised" to hear the group sing the Chinese and Uyghur numbers. "They're singing is very local, which showed me the level of this choir's performing ability is very high." He also found the Polynesian dancing "very refreshing. In the past I have only seen this type of dancing on TV, so I was very impressed with my first live experience."
"We have reached the common purpose we had with this performance," added the chairman of Xinjiang University performing committee. "The music and dancing have become our common language. The students from both universities really mingled well together. We thank you for bringing your group here and letting us appreciate and enjoy your music and dance."
"This performance tonight was nearly perfect in every way," BYU-Hawaii President Eric B. Shumway responded. "The emotions, beauty, precision, the musicality — everything came together came together in a perfect way. But the surprise of the audience in their response to the Chinese and the Uyghur songs was just overwhelming. We could feel the electricity' go through the audience, particularly among the leaders who are hosting us."
"They had no idea the concert would be so beautiful, and so perfect," President Shumway continued. "I believe the concert has changed their lives, and the way they view BYU-Hawaii."
President Shumway, who had not previously visited Urumqi, also noted part of the wonderful reception the choir has received comes because the "Uyghur people are very closely connected emotionally with the Polynesian people: They're warm, they're loving, they love to kiss, they love to dance, they love families, they love to be hosts and hostesses. It's a remarkable thing, this synergy between Hawaii and Urumqi."
"BYU-Hawaii's mission is an intercultural one of building leadership and bringing people together. That's the mission of this province as well, because there are so many nationalities and ethnic groups here. So bringing BYU-Hawaii here for this kind of performance was a wonderful thing to see."
"They'll never forget it," President Shumway said. "I'll never forget it. It's a first for them and a first for us, with such synergy and emotion. They were impressed with the genuineness of our students. You could see the tears of the people: They were genuine emotions."
"The connections we now have and the feelings we were able to generate will add greatly to our stature, because the Chinese government really wants to emphasize and strengthen the nationalities, the minority groups," he said. "Our visit to Urumqi exceeded my expectations. I knew we were supposed to come here."
— Photos by Monique Saenz: (Upper, left-right): Hannah Speidel, a Kazahk student at Xinjiang University, and Leilani Miller; (middle): BYUH students greet young fans after the concert; (lower): the BYU-Hawaii Concert Choir in formal attire