On the evening of August 29, the Symphony Hall of the Xinghai Concert Hall in Guangzhou was brightly lit as the Guangzhou Xinghu Choir staged ‘The Road of Xinghu: A New Departure,’ its fifth-anniversary special concert. Invited as guests, the choir of Beijing Long An (Guangzhou) Law Firm walked onto one of South China’s most celebrated music stages and performed four pieces — ‘Pear Blossoms Bloom Again,’ ‘Contentment,’ ‘A Little Heart’ and the encore ‘Boundless Sea and Sky’ — offering songs as a sincere gift for this five-year appointment.
Five Years, Witnessed by Song
In 2021, under the leadership of Liu Xin, director of the Long An Guangzhou management committee, Beijing Long An (Guangzhou) Law Firm entered a new stage of development. That same year, at the initiative of founding partner Sha Yuchen and with the enthusiastic support of many lawyers, the Long An Guangzhou Choir was established. This mixed choir, made up mainly of Long An Guangzhou lawyers and joined by lawyers from other firms, was earnest from the very start: its vocal instructors all graduated from the Xinghai Conservatory of Music and, with professional eyes, led a group of people who spend their days moving between statutes and case files into an entirely different sound world.
For five years, the choir has rehearsed through wind and rain without a break. During the COVID-19 pandemic, rehearsal spaces were periodically locked down, and members searched from place to place for somewhere to practice. In summer heat and winter cold, with year-end files piled high on their desks, lawyers who had just finished revising contracts after overtime still pushed open the rehearsal room door on time and slowly let singing loosen their taut nerves. From basic pitch training, sight-singing and ear training to one-on-one vocal coaching; from the simple stacking of male and female voice parts to today’s mature four-part renditions — this path of progress has known no shortcuts, only the accumulation of time and love.
A Night at Xinghai, Answered by Song
At this concert, the Long An Guangzhou Choir performed ‘Pear Blossoms Bloom Again’ and ‘Contentment’ on its own, and joined the Xinghu Choir to sing ‘A Little Heart’ and ‘Boundless Sea and Sky.’
‘Pear Blossoms Bloom Again’ is a deeply affectionate look back: where pear blossoms open, a familiar hometown lingers in the distance. ‘Contentment’ is a warm acceptance that lets the years grow long. ‘A Little Heart,’ composed by Xinghu Choir artistic director Bao Zeyun with lyrics by Ma Wenwei, enters a philosophical view of life from a child’s perspective and is filled with the feelings of growing up. The encore ‘Boundless Sea and Sky’ pays homage to the golden era of Cantopop. Taken together, the four songs echo the state of mind the choir has held over its five years: never forgetting the road behind while moving steadily forward.
Sha Yuchen, head of the Long An Guangzhou Choir, not only led the group through its own repertoire at the concert but also joined the Xinghu Choir as a member to sing several pieces. What few people know is that Sha was unwell before the show; hours of standing rehearsal and more than a dozen songs on the night were a real test of both body and spirit. When the last notes fell and every song had been completed, Sha delivered a result to be proud of. That tenacity and love of music are a microcosm of the Long An Guangzhou Choir’s five-year commitment — fighting fatigue with singing, nourishing the soul with art, and finding a balanced fulcrum between reason and emotion.
Sailing the River of Years on Song
From the first rehearsal in a small studio on Binjiang Middle Road to the dome of Xinghai Concert Hall, the Long An Guangzhou Choir has traveled five years. These five years have also been a time of vigorous growth for Long An Guangzhou, and a time for the choir to grow from a seed into a canopy of shade. The choir’s persistence is a reflection of the firm’s cultural foundation: striving for professional excellence while keeping an abundant inner life.
The wind on Ersha Island on the night of August 29 carried these memorable voices for all who heard them. And the singing will not stop. It will continue through the door between courtroom and concert hall, carrying both the strength of reason and the warmth of feeling into a future still farther away.
We thank the Xinghu Choir for the invitation and for making this journey with us, giving the Long An Guangzhou Choir such a brilliant stage at its five-year milestone. May both choirs, on their respective courses, continue to use song as their boat across the river of years.