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Shen Yun is ‘Something very very special,’ Says Australian Singer Judith Durham
Beverley Sheehan and Judith Durham attend Shen Yun Performing Arts in Melbourne's Regent Theatre. (Leigh Smith/The Epoch Times)
MELBOURNE, Australia—Amid much applause and admiration New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts gave the final curtain call for its 2012 visit to Melbourne’s Regent Theatre on Sunday April 15. High in praise for the quality of this production was world famous singing star Judith Durham.
“The show itself is the most amazing combination of the most beautiful aspects of the arts that you could possibly imagine,” Ms. Durham said. “The discipline and the inspiration that the artists have shown us through the performance has been truly, truly remarkable, and I’m in awe.
“I’m going to be doing a concert tour myself very soon and I’m kind of humbled by what I’ve seen on the stage during this performance. I really encourage everyone to go along and see the show. I really think that this is something very very special because it unites cultures of so many different countries without me truly understanding the heritage that we have in every country of the world we can all draw upon.
“So the costumes, the scenery the beautiful orchestra the magnificent singing and of course the dancing, it was just a display of such spectacular beauty I’m very very thrilled that I came. Thank you very, very much. I’m delighted to be here.”
Ms. Durham is a talented singer, classical pianist, song writer /composer but stepped into international stardom as the lead singer in The Seekers. This folk band, with a succession of huge and lasting hits rivaling the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, were the first Australian group to make the No.1 Spot in the USA with the song Georgy Girl.
The singers were magnificent and I know what discipline has gone into creating those wonderful voices.
Ms. Durham said “the singers were magnificent and I know what discipline has gone into creating those wonderful voices. The strength was incredible too.”
Beverley Sheehan, Ms. Durham’s sister, is a jazz singer and classical pianist, she accompanied her sister to the performance.
“It was astonishing” that the soloists, Soprano Chia-Ning Hsu and Tenors Hong Ming and Tian Ge were able to “sing like that without any microphones or amplification. The strength and breath control is remarkable,” she said.
They were both amazed at the quality of the Chinese erhu virtuoso, Xiaochun Qi playing A Song for the Heart.
“It’s a remarkable instrument,” said Ms. Durham. “I couldn’t believe how beautiful and how expressive it was. I was likening it to singing actually, but the delicacy and the nuances—it’s just an unbelievable instrument. I’ve never seen it before.”
“I also thought it was exquisite,” said Ms. Sheehan. “It was to me a little bit like a violin but with even more emotion in it. That was the feeling it gave me. And it just seemed to transport the player as well—lovely, the whole show was just magnificent.”
The Shen Yun Orchestra, conducted by Ying Chen, is a blend of classical Western and tradition Chinese instruments such as the pipa and suona all playing original scores specifically composed for each performance.
Ms. Durham said the orchestra was “a remarkable blend of sound and textures. That was what was surprising. There is so many other nuances and differences that all seem to blend together beautifully for different expressions.
“The work is all originally composed and that’s a remarkable thing in itself. And when you see the scenery, and the music that’s been created for the scenery, and the dancing it [the music] just carries it so beautifully and helps with the emotion—a very interesting blend of textures. That’s what I found, overwhelmingly so.”
Ms. Sheehan appreciated the Master of Ceremonies introducing some of the instruments in the orchestra, they both wished they had been able to see them up close.
“They did a wonderful job. It was precise and beautiful. I just felt it all combined beautifully and complemented the dancers very, very well. It was lovely to see the female conductor as well,” Ms. Sheehan said.
Reporting by NTD Television, Leigh Smith and Philippa Rayment.
Shen Yun Performing Arts, based in New York, tours the world on a mission to revive traditional Chinese culture. Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company will perform at the Canberra Theatre, in Canberra, April 17 and 18.
For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts.
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