National Hakka Children’s Choir, which was founded in July, 2019, staged its debut concert at Zhongshan Hall in Taipei on Oct. 8.

Hakka Affairs Council (HAC) Deputy Ministers Chung Kung-chao (鍾孔炤) and Fan Tso-ming (范佐銘), and Hakka Public Communication Foundation (HPCF) President Chern Ban (陳板) were invited to attend the music event.

Following its debut, the choir will perform at the Hsinchu Performing Arts Center on Dec. 23.

According to HAC, the choir was formed to promote Hakka musical heritage and innovation, and it is led by  artistic director and conductor Peng Meng-hsien (彭孟賢), the incumbent executive director of Taiwan Choral Association who helped the Taipei-based Müller Chamber Choir (木樓合唱團) win several top prizes in international competitions. Following more than one year of training, the Hakka choir members, whose age ranges from 7 to 14, presented their progress and achievement in the performance.

Through the children’s tender and innocent voices, the concert-goers could feel the choir’s passion and enthusiasm for Hakka culture and music. It is expected that Hakka legacies can be passed down from generation to generation through the chorus, so that the Hakka arts and spirit will be spread from Taiwan to all corners of the world.

The concert raised its curtain with traditional Hakka folksongs—Shangezi (山歌子) and Song for Selling Wine (糶酒歌), and then the choir enlivened the atmosphere by singing newly created Hakka songs including Moonlight (月光光) and Eagles (鷂婆). The second half of the show brought several world-renowned repertoires, indicating the chorus members’ ambition to be Hakka cultural ambassadors on the international stage.

The choir rounded off the concert with a classic encore piece “Hakka Spirit (客家本色),” receiving rapturous applause for the brilliant performance.

※Free admission ticket information

Starting Nov. 9, people can request at most four free tickets for each person at the service counter of Cultural Affairs Bureau of Hsinchu County Government.

Hotline: 02-23658943 (Müller Chamber Choir)