As the grand finale of the 2025 Berlin Choral Season, three choirs from China and Germany recently presented a joint choral concert titled “A Light Boat Accompanied by Song” at Berlin’s Apostel-Paulus-Kirche, offering the audience a cross-cultural and multilingual choral performance.
The concert featured the Beijing Little Chestnut Children’s Choir, the German women’s choir Musicam Amantes, and the Chinese Academic Choir Berlin. The repertoire included Chinese classical poetry, multilingual popular choral works, and both Chinese and international classics, showcasing the integration of diverse cultures.
In her opening speech, Dr. Pan Lu, the Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute at Freie Universität Berlin, introduced the backgrounds and artistic characteristics of the three choirs. The German women’s choir Musicam Amantes, founded in 1972 and based in Hohen Neuendorf, Brandenburg, is known for its female choral performances and rich concert experience. The Chinese Academic Choir Berlin has been dedicated to promoting Chinese choral works in Germany since 1995. The Beijing Little Chestnut Children’s Choir, established in 2020, is a rising star that has won honors in several international competitions.
The joint performance was conducted by Jin Yanfei, who studied at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin and has long been active in the German choral scene. She currently leads the Beijing Little Chestnut Children’s Choir. This time, she brought the choir back to Berlin for a meaningful musical exchange.
The concert opened with a set of works based on Chinese classical poetry, with the children’s choir painting idyllic, pastoral scenes. This was followed by English, German, and Swedish pieces, all expressing the most sincere emotions of humanity. The finale returned to Chinese choral works: the German women’s choir performed “The Moon Represents My Heart,” and the Chinese Academic Choir Berlin presented “What the World Gives Me,” both resonating deeply with the audience. The encore, “Grant Us Peace,” saw the audience join in singing.
After the performance, many audience members expressed that the three choirs presented a wide range of styles, from folk songs to modern choral works, performing with great harmony and leaving a deep impression. As the host said in the opening remarks: “We hope this concert will not only be a feast for the ears, but also a symbol of cross-border cultural exchange and connection.”
