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Central attraction: Artists perform on the opening day of the first Viet Nam International Choir Festival in Hoi An. The five-day event gathers 37 choirs from 11 nations and territories. — VNA/VNS Photo Tran Tinh |
QUANG NAM — Thousands have braved the rain and came to the historic town of Hoi An to enjoy the opening of the first Viet Nam International Choir Festival.
The five-day event has drawn six choirs from Viet Nam and another 36 from Estonia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines, and will end with awards presented for the best choirs on Sunday.
The festival is being held with the support of Quang Nam provincial People's Committee, the Hoi An People's Committee, and Germany's Interkultur Foundation.
Interkultur Foundation representative Thomas Schule said the festival would be a bridge to link different cultures and nationalities. Visiting choruses were performing mostly traditional songs to introduce the unique culture of each country and increase the cultural exchange.
On the opening day on Wednesday, a Vietnamese chorus sang Chieu Ve Hoi An (Afternoon in Hoi An) while Swedish artists performed Silk Heart, which combined elements of dance with the music of German composer J.Bach. Artists from around the world joined in a performance of the traditional Vietnamese folk song Trong Com (Cylindrical Drum).
Five stages have been set up in Hoi An's Old Quarter to bring artists and audiences closer together. The floating stage in the Hoai River has been decorated with an image of Chua Cau, otherwise known as the Japanese bridge, one of the most attractive tourist destinations in Hoi An.
Artists and audiences joined in a moment of silence for Japanese victims of the recent earthquake and tsunami before the performance. — VNS