ＵＳ Ｇｒｅｅｎｗｉｃｈ Ｈｉｇｈ Ｓｃｈｏｏｌ Ｂａｎｄ ｉｎ Ｃｈｉｎａ

A 229-member Greenwich High School (GHS) Band of Connecticut， the U. S.， organized and sent by the Chinese Cultural Exchange of the U. S.， visited Beijing， Xi’an， Shanghai and Suzhou from April 13 to 24 at the invitation of the CPAFFC. The Band gave performance at the Juyongguan Pass of the Great Wall in Beijing， the Sofitel Grand Theatre and the City Wall Park in Xi’an， and at get-together with students in five schools in the cities they visited.

The GHS Band has a history of 25 years. It is one of the best high school student bands in the United States and has won several awards in national competitions. The Band is composed of eight individual music groups， namely: the Symphony Orchestra， the Chamber Orchestra， the Jazz Band， the Wind Ensemble， the Marching Band， the Jazz Experimental Band， the Percussion Ensemble and the Clarinet Ensemble. John Yoon and Ben Walker， conductor and deputy conductor of the Band， have rich experience in teaching music and conducting. They can fully tap the potential of every member of the Band， and thus， have kept the Band’s performance at a high-level for a long time. The aim of the Band’s visit to China was to promote understanding and friendship between the youth of the U. S. and China through music.

On the afternoon of April 14， the CPAFFC welcomed the teachers and students of the GHS Band and several dozen students’ parents at its compound where the Chinese and American youth rang the Peace Bell together symbolizing the start of the Band’s China tour. Li Liguo， deputy director general of the Department of Cultural Exchange read out the message by CPAFFC President Chen Haosu at the bell-ringing ceremony， in which， Chen said: “The future of the world belongs to you young people. Cultural exchange is the best way to increase mutual understanding. I believe that the students of China and the United States will get a good harvest from this trip both in friendship and music.” Conductor John Yoon spoke on behalf of the Band. He said that the visit would enable the students of the Band to have personal experience of China and enhance the understanding and friendship between the American and Chinese youth. The American students and the students of the Beijing No. 80 High School Band struck the peace bell together， marking the beginning of GHS Band’s music tour of China. The chime of the bell expressed the desire of the Chinese and American students for friendship and world peace. After the bell ringing， the Chinese and American students put on a 30-minute joint performance. The singing and playing together the song Jasmine Flower brought closer the students of the two countries who met for the first time.

On the evening of that day， the CPAFFC hosted a banquet at the Friendship Hotel to welcome the Band. Leading members of both sides made warm speeches. The banquet proceeded in a friendly and lively atmosphere lasting nearly three hours， during which a birthday celebration was held for an American student. With tears in her eyes， she said: “It is the most meaningful birthday that I have ever had. I will never forget it.” At the banquet， the Chinese and American students volunteered to perform. The humorous playing of wind instruments by the Beijing No. 80 High School students and the excellent performance of Jazz by the Greenwich High School students received favourable comments. The students of the two countries chatted warmly and exchanged gifts.

April 15 was an important day for the students of GHS Band. They climbed up the Great Wall and performed at Juyongguan Pass of the Great Wall for more than one hour. The excellent performance by the Wind Ensemble， the Symphony Orchestra， the Jazz Band won warm applause from the tourists at the Great Wall and the parents of the students. After the performance， the American students told us excitedly that they would never forget their day on the Great Wall， and expressed gratitude to the CPAFFC for helping them realize their dreams.

Xi’an and Huxian County were important legs of the Band’s China tour. Sharon Crain， Honorary Farmer of Huxian County， is an ordinary American from Connecticut. She has for years devoted to promoting China-US friendship and become deeply attached to Huxian County. It was due to her efforts that the Band’s tour of China could be materialized. Unlike the itinerary we arrange for other visiting delegations， Sharon insisted on giving priority to the visit to the rural area of Huxian County as well as the get-together with the students of the local school. She believed that only such exchanges at grassroots could enable the youth of the two countries to learn the actual conditions， customs and culture of the other side.

The Band arrived in Huxian County on April 17 and was enthusiastically greeted by the farmer’s drum team and the students of Huxian No. 4 Middle School. Perhaps this would be the only time in their lives that these American teenagers could experience such rousing reception characteristic of the countryside of China’s northwest. There was no need for language. They were deeply touched by the hospitality of the hosts. Before the joint performance， Deputy County Magistrate Ding Jingxi， the conductor of the band and Sharon made speeches. They all spoke highly of the visit to Huxian by the American students. Sharon recalled the history of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the U. S. and China， and her ties with Huxian. She expressed the belief that the seeds of friendship sown that day in the hearts of these American youngsters would take roots， grow， bloom and bear fruit. The Band donated 10，000 US dollars to the Huxian No. 4 Middle School as students’ subsidies and 100-odd English books.

After the speeches， the American students played Hill Country Holiday， The Golden Age of Rock and Roll， Music of the Beatles， and Chinese songs Where is the Spring， Nanni Wan， etc. During the performance， a high wind sprang up and blew away their sheets music. Many Chinese students rushed onto the stage to help hold the sheets. Braving the fierce wind and dust， the students persisted in the cooperation till the end. This scene moved all the Americans present. Conductor Ben Walker said emotionally: “This is true US-China friendship.”

When the performance ended， the American students went to visit farmers’ homes in Handong Village， experiencing the life of Shaanxi farmers and tasting jiaozi (dumplings) and other local specialties the villagers had prepared for them. The American students were not used to the Chinese food， but they showed great interest in everything there. George who played saxophone said: “People here are very hospitable. I am very happy that I’ve come here. I will tell those who have not come everything I’ve seen here.” The American students also visited the exhibition of the famous Huxian farmers’ paintings. The farmers’ paintings were familiar to some of the students， for a few years ago Sharon had introduced them to Greenwich， Connecticut and invited the well-known farmer painter Fan Zhihua and others to the United States.

The Primary School Attached to Shaanxi Normal University is a sister school of the Parkway Primary School in Greenwich， and so it was the first stop of the Band’s visit to Xi’an. The Band was once again accorded warm welcome at the primary school on the morning of April 18. All the pupils of the school， in school uniforms， lined up to welcome the American guests. The Jazz Band gave a 40-minute excellent performance for the teachers and pupils of the school. Though due to their young age， the pupils were unfamiliar with the music played， happiness was shown on the face of every child. The pupils also showed their talent in painting and calligraphy. That afternoon， the Band came to the Xi’an City Wall Park. Despite the scorching sun， the performance by the Band drew hundreds of local residents and tourists. When the Band played the familiar Chinese folk songs， applause broke out from the audience.

That evening， Liu Shimin， vice chairman of the Shaanxi Provincial People’s Political Consultative Conference met with all the members of the band at the Shangri-La Golden Flower Hotel.

The Band staged a formal show at the Sofitel Grand Theatre on the evening of April 19. It was a tri-party joint performance. In addition to the GHS Band， the Symphony Orchestra of the Middle School Attached to Xi’an Conservatory of Music and the Primary School Attached to Shaanxi Normal University also participated in the performance. The 2-hour excellent performance won repeated applause from the audience.

The Band visited the Shanghai Conservatory of Music on April 23. Together with the band of the conservatory they had exchanges on techniques in playing music.

Apart from giving performances， the GHS Band also visited the historical and cultural sites including the Forbidden City， the Summer Palace， and the Terra cotta Warriors and Horses Museum， and watched the Chinese martial arts， acrobatics and the performance of Tang Dynasty music and Dance， through which they gained preliminary knowledge of China and its culture.