“Accompanied by a half pot of Tusu Liquor, the Spring Festival couplets have been written under the dimming oil lamp.” The year of Tiger 2022 is growling to bid farewell, while uncertainty remains at the bottom of our hearts. We’ve experienced so many ups and downs throughout this year that have made us apprehensive, but not enough to make us apathetic. Embracing the year of Rabbit 2023, we may expect a purely musical gala, to heal, to love, and to restart.
The misty rain was whirling on the 20th of lunar December, and the newly-constructed stage was sinking in the appealing background music, peacefully waiting for the coming New Year Concert. As lovely as the glowing lanterns, the spotlight prepared the 15 performances well, just like the exquisite letters written to the audience around the floors of corridors.
Following the heartbeats, the song We Are All Together, baked times as soft as rice cakes. Several artists, our teachers as well as students, sang on cloud nine, accentuating upbeat spirits, substantial knowledge and massive ambitions with the warm chorus, the melodious chord, and the solo guitar. Even if we look back in the future, the catchy lyrics, “We are SCIE family”, will maintain the eternal treasures of all of us.
A further treasure was bestowed by Zhaohui Ensemble. Shuttling back and forth in the classical red dresses and black robes, those rhythms of zither and lute like bouncing pearls, making Magic Overture they performed the precious keys to our memories. The sonorous Spring Festival’s Overture was not only the lit fireworks but also the fragrant New Year’s Eve dinner in our minds, while the elegant Hedwig’s Theme fused the generosity from the East with the bravery of Harry Potter, impressively and vigorously.
Another two shows were also roaming in the ancient Chinese beauty: the Peking opera Fairy sending flowers, performed by Annie, and the Chinese dance Ode to the Lotus, performed by Angela. Feel it: that beautiful aria, that picturesque posture; look at it: that gracefulness of the ancient costume developed by Mei Lanfang, that flexibility of the stretching and rotating; enjoy it: that fairy clearing the secular world, that lotus staying ingenuous after rinsing. “The Graces danced, and Apollo played”; all of their choreographing and sentiments successfully led the audience to a boundless wonderland.
Thunderous cheers and applause encircled the Kpop dance Remix: Juice + ParadoXXX Invasion, performed by Princilla and Amy. They were dashing and well synchronized; even the shiny lights couldn’t hold back their thrill, and the dry ice couldn’t help melting away.
While blazing dancing could awaken your bodies, leisure instruments could pluck your heartstrings. Listening to Sophia Xu’s solo piano Grain Dance, you would hear the wind-bells celebrating the pleasure at the start of the new year; viewing Patty’s piano performance Peking Opera, you would discover that like the flying clouds and snow, the glossy quintessence of Chinese culture flowing freely from her fingers; appreciating the JazzIt’s On by Free Notes Jazz Band, you would taste a jar of spring wine brewed from ultimate talents and love, which was mellow enough to intoxicate the surroundings.
While filming worldwide prosperity, we may want to edit the clips of happiness for our cherished selves and beloved ones. Jacky played and sang like a poet that could take each day as it came, interpreting Free Loop as the combination of real nights, real tales and real lives. Sophia Su whispered ethereally to her guitar about that incredible love story, hiding her throbbing excitement in April Encounter; the band of Jim, Michael, Jerry and Felix depicted the romance and persistence of falling in love, proclaiming Just the Way You Are as if they were singing in the live concert.
When music was immersed in the time machine that blended the scent of mud and jasmine, their voices were particularly enthusiastic. The members of the Acappella club, ACAtogether, repeatedly asked: Can You Feel the Love Tonight, and their singing and B-Box let the little lion king Simba roll and play in the wilderness; the members of the Singing Club perfectly integrated the songs of Best of 2012 into Rewind, confidently claiming We Are Young, and comfortably rippling our hearts with warmth and gentleness. They are sincere singers, driving the golden carriage of the times that carried flashbacks full of faded beauty.
The finale guest, Sparkling Dance Club, dedicated two performances, Tonight and Anonym, as a remarkable and unforgettable surprise to everyone. The street dance Tonight was energetic that the theme song of Balala the Fairies touched our childhood memories, while the youthful steps outlined the notes of growth. The modern dance Anonym was sobering as it decisively unveiled numerous tragedies and never bound the cries of justice. Either gazing wistfully, or trembling wildly, their leaning and waving manifested their contempt for cowardly silence and criticism of gloomy reality.
“Happy Spring Festival!” The last ray of lights was haloed in the golden bowl of the dusk, yet the genuine hope for the new year was still echoed in the farewell song Glorious Years, imprinted in the several shared videos, and cherished in the laughter around the campus.
May your next tears be the tears of joy. May you be the change you wish to see in the world.
- Article / Lucy Cai
- Pictures / Brian Claire Dylan Rita Thomas
