Recently, YCIS Shanghai joined together with other Yew Chung and Yew Wah schools from around the world to perform at the 7th annual Seeds of Hope Gala Charity Concert. Held at the Shanghai Oriental Performing Arts Centre, the concert brought together students and faculty from the school’s entire network to support the Seeds of Hope charity.

The Seeds of Hope charity was formed by YCIS in 2008 in response to the catastrophic earthquake in Sichuan Province. The funds raised by the annual concert, as well as by other Seeds of Hope initiatives throughout the school year, are used to build or remodel a Seeds of Hope School every year in a region in which YCIS has a school. This funds raised this year will be used to improve facilities at the Seeds of Hope Schools.

The annual charity concert has been held in cities around Asia, including Hong Kong, Beijing, and Chongqing. This year, Shanghai was selected as the foundation host city, and students came from all over the world to practice together for three days in preparation for the event. The hard work paid off during the concert as the students and faculty dazzled the audience with performances of a wide range of pieces, including Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nacht musik, Greig’s Last Spring, an epic medley of songs from Sondheim and Bernstein’s West Side Story, and the choir serenaded the audience with a medley of Beatles classics, the traditional gospel hymn, Hear the Sound of Joy, and the famous Chinese folk song, Ni Wa Wa.

According to Ms Sally Davis, Secondary Head of Music and Performing Arts at YCIS’s Gubei Campus, “It’s always really valuable when students across the network come to perform together. They forge friendships during the three practise days, and despite all of the hard work needed to put on a stellar performance, the students are always smiling and come out feeling accomplished”. Nick Adgemis, Secondary Head of Music and Performing Arts at YCIS’s Century Park Campus, agreed with Davis’ sentiment, adding “Our students are still beaming from the experience of being in such a professional performance setting and the powerful sounds created by this year’s foundation choir and orchestra”.

In addition to having the opportunity to be part of a collaborative effort to raise funds for the Seeds of Hope charity, the annual concert also yields other benefits for the students who participate. Not only does it highlight the talents of the students who come from all YCIS campuses worldwide, including Shanghai, Hong Kong, Beijing, Qingdao, Chongqing, and Silicon Valley, US, it also provides the students with the experience of performing in front of a large audience, helping to develop their confidence and poise. It is also a lovely chance for students to reconnect with friends they have made from other YCIS schools in past performances, as many of the students perform in the annual concert year after year.

This year, more than 300 talented performers gathered to perform in front of a packed theatre of more than 1,000 audience members. The concert was a success, and the students and faculty alike were delighted to be part of such a meaningful musical event. To learn more about YCIS’s Seeds of Hope charity, please click here.