Athens, 10 Feb (Xinhua) -- At the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics, a group of children sang the Olympic song in Greek, which reverberated in the distant birthplace of the Olympic movement.
On the evening of February 4, the opening ceremony of the XXIV Winter Olympic Games was held at the Beijing National Stadium. This is the "Maran Flower Children's Choir" sung in Greek at the opening ceremony. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Ga
"They're really like angels, like stars. It was as if all their voices came together and heaven opened. ”
Angiliki Tubanaki is a singer, actor and producer and vocal educator from greece's most renowned Philip Nacas Conservatory. She told Xinhua with great emotion that a group of children from the mountains were "united through their voices and Greek, through these powerful, affectionate and team-like words," "which is very touching."
Tubanaki believes that music and sports are very important for children's development, helping them to build a strong personality system, discipline, thinking ability and imagination, "through this choir, we see the combination of the two.".
Backstage at the National Stadium (Bird's Nest), Han Shuxin of the Ma LanHua Children's Choir waits in front of rehearsals (photo taken on January 15). Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Xu Yanan
In the opening ceremony performance, 44 children from the Fuping Mountains of Hebei Province sang the Olympic games in a clear, heavenly voice and in Greek. This scene also surprised the Greek musician Evaelos Kocorris.
Corcoris is currently Artistic Director of the Philip Nacas Academy of Music and is also a flute player, composer and teacher of music theory, composition and art history. As a winter sports enthusiast, Kokoris naturally does not miss watching the opening ceremony performance of the Beijing Winter Olympics.
"I was impressed by a choir of children singing in a steady voice and a clear Greek pronunciation." He recalled to Xinhua, "It was respect for our country, Greece. ”
"The Olympic song sung by chinese children is amazing, and congratulations to these children for learning this ode in a few months, it is not easy." Kokoris exclaimed heartily.
Ode to the Olympiad was first played at the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896, composed by the Greek composer Spyros Samaras and lyrics by the Greek poet Costis Paramas, and was officially recognized as the Olympic anthem in 1958.
Kocorris believes that Ode to the Olympics and music in a broad sense can bring people together all over the world, bring peace, promote communication, and enhance fraternity and mutual respect between people. "Thanks to this global humanism that music naturally carries, we can believe that the future will be better and that humanity will come together."
Fodini Baksevani is a young student studying piano at the Philip Nacas Conservatory. She was very touched to learn that the children of the choir who sang the Olympic anthem lived in the mountains where they were not wealthy.
"They sang very clearly, very beautifully, and for these mountain kids, this performance allowed them to integrate into the music and learn about Greek music that they had never been exposed to before, which was great." Baksevani said.
At the end of the interview, the three musicians all sent good wishes to the Beijing Winter Olympics, wishing the athletes to show their best selves.
"I hope that all those who have worked hard for many years to participate in the Winter Olympics will enjoy this moment and offer their best performance with love, spirit and pure soul." Tubanaki said.
"Hopefully, by the end of the Winter Olympics, everyone's face will be full of smiles." Kokoris added.
Source: Xinhua News Agency