HÀ NỘI — A charity concert where orphaned children give “music, love and hope” to the community will be held at the Hà Nội Opera House on December 2.

Sing for Joy 2017 will have eight choirs featuring more than 350 international artists. The concert will raise funds for the Miracle Choir and Orchestra (MCO), an educational project that teaches music to underprivileged children.

The MCO will also perform at the concert.

“When people visit orphanages, they usually give things to the children, like books, clothes and food. But when the children stand on the stage, they become givers,” said pianist Trang Trịnh, art director of the MCO, adding that she wants to bring them a chance to “give people music, love, and hope.”

Sing for Joy 2017 follows the success of its previous edition in 2015.

The concert will be a fusion of choral pieces from different genres: classical melodies like Ravel’s Bolero and Besame Mucho, popular songs like You Raise Me Up and Rudolf The Red Nose Reindeer and Asian folk music with Arirang (Korea) and Lý  Cây Đa (Việt Nam).

This year, too, the concert will feature famous conductor Koo Chun, artistic director of the National Chorus of Korea. He performed for the first time in Việt Nam at Sing for Joy 2015, conducting a memorable performance by all singers who sang Michael Jackson’s song Heal The World to close the concert.

“I decided to come back to perform because the MCO touched my heart,” said Chun.

“Through music, people are inspired to build a better world.”

Beauty in harmony: People from 15 countries sang the Michael Jackson hit, Heal the World, to show that “beauty comes from harmony,” said Korean conductor Koo Chun about the Sing for Joy 2015 concert at the Ha Noi Opera House. — Photo courtesy of the MCO

Sing for Joy 2017 has adopted the theme of “Hope,” seeking to express the “dream of each  choir member.

“That dream can either be very difficult to accomplish or it may not be related to art or music, but when singing, especially singing together, that dream seems to be reinforced spiritually so as to nurture as well as encourage belief within each individual,” said Trịnh.

“An individual who is ambitious and full of dreams is likely to build a community that is also full of hope,” said Trịnh, wife of conductor Park Sung-min, South Korean founder of the MCO, who lives in Hà Nội.

The choirs performing at the event include the Hà Nội-based Concordia International School Choir, Hà Nội Freud Choir and Hà Nội Voices Choir.

“This harmonious combination will surely take the audience through many levels of emotions to enjoy an unforgettable music experience,” said Park Sung-min.

He noted that the first edition of Sing for Joy concert was also held at the Hà Nội Opera House with the participation of 233 artists, who entertained about 600 people.

The image of people from 15 countries aged seven to 60, singing Heal the World hand in hand, showing that “beauty comes from harmony,” touched the hearts of everyone in the auditorium that day, Park Sung-min said.

“The success of the concert and enthusiastic encouragement from our followers have become an enormous source of motivation for MCO.”

MCO was founded in 2013, offering music ensemble experiences to underprivileged children in Hà Nội.

With the primary objective of “changing lives through music”, the project seeks to achieve social transformation through music.

“MCO believes the children will find peace and harmony in their everyday lives and nurture meaningful values through music,” said Trang.

“We believe that the best way to help underprivileged children to overcome obstacles and become exemplary citizens is to build an “abundance of spirit” – a spirit that is full of hopes, dreams and love.

Music is the ideal environment where children can experience this spirit and be built up with it.”

Funds raised by Sing for Joy 2017 will keep the Miracle Choir and Orchestra project going from strength to strength. — VNS