Photo provided The Chinese University of Hong Kong Chorus will visit Columbus for its first performance in a U.S. tour at 3 p.m. June 28 at First Presbyterian Church, 512 Seventh St., Columbus.
First Presbyterian Church’s “Music at FPC” series will open June 28 as the church welcomes the Chinese University of Hong Kong Chorus. This 32-member chorus has been internationally recognized since its establishment in 1972, and will visit Columbus for its first performance in a U.S. tour.
The concert will be at 3 p.m. at the church, 512 Seventh St., Columbus, followed by a reception in the Laws Room.
Consisting of both past and present students, the Chinese University of Hong Kong Chorus performs a wide variety of unaccompanied and accompanied choral music from composers across the globe. They also focus heavily on Cantonese choral music in hopes of bringing attention to Cantonese music for choirs, according to Eric Stark, Indianapolis Symphonic Choir artistic director and Butler University music professor.
“… In mainland China, the dialect that is spoken is Mandarin, however in Hong Kong and in some other parts of the wider Chinese nation, they use the Cantonese dialect. And they’re very different, and they bring with them kind of their own unique cultural identities,” Stark said. “And so, this choir in Hong Kong is working to help the rest of the world, including me and those of us who will be there at the concert, know more about music that’s written in the Cantonese dialect for choirs to sing.”
Under the direction of Leon Chu, the chorus has performed throughout Hong Kong and in other locations including the Philippines, Shanghai and Thailand. Stark, who is also a member of First Presbyterian Church, has worked together with Chu and the chorus multiple times in the past and helped to facilitate this concert at First Presbyterian.
Stark said this concert serves as a wonderful opportunity to use music to build bridges between communities that might not have had strong connections otherwise.
“They’re a very hard-working group. Most of them are folks who have loved music all their lives but I would venture to say that most are not professional musicians, they’re actually earning their living doing other things,” Stark said. “But they love music, always have and they’re quite talented.”
First Presbyterian Church organist Jordan Lewis said this concert will serve as the first in the Music at FPC series after it went on hiatus following the COVID-19 pandemic, with more performances from musicians to come in the 2025-2026 season, he said.
“The space is acoustically very brilliant and it’s a great venue for music to be performed in,” Lewis said.
