Harmony is Pleasant to the Ear, Friendship is Like Flowers

A Sino-Australian Collaboration: The “Sound of Music” New Year Concert and School Ensemble Performance

On this sunny winter morning, a special party was ushered onto our campus. Before the New Year’s bells have finished their final chime, we received a special New Year’s gift – a group of little musical messengers from the Cloud Concert Youth Orchestra, all the way from distant Australia!

When the first ray of morning light gently shone on the campus, our welcome party also kicked off in the small theatre! Sixty-three little hearts were beating loudly, and everyone held a small gift, ready to welcome their new friends from afar. The eyes of the children from Australia were full of expectations as the students of SUIS Qingpu became their tour guides, taking them into their classrooms to discover the beauty of Chinese culture and the joy of learning together.

With the participation of the Australian students, our campus seemed to become a small international village full of laughter and joy! In the classrooms, everyone chatted happily and shared their own culture, just like the gorgeous fireworks in the sky, it was so bright and beautiful. Happy laughter and cheerful chatter floated around the campus, like angels playing happy music. Through this cross-border exchange, the Australian friends gained a deeper understanding of China, and the students of SUIS Qingpu also learned how to joyfully interact with friends from all over the world, laying a solid foundation for becoming young citizens of our future world.

In this day full of laughter, warmth and novelty, the seeds of friendship have quietly been planted in the hearts of every student, and will surely bloom into colourful flowers in the future.

At 16:30, our Grand Theatre was bustling with activity. Students from China and Australia held hands and together performed at the “Sound of Music” New Year Concert to welcome the arrival of the new year.

The first half of the concert was a wonderful performance by our young musicians from SUIS Qingpu. The school orchestra played four cute little tunes and the Nightingales Choir sang a vibrant “Tama Tu”. The children of the Qingying Dance School Ensemble danced “Fly Desire”, showcasing their expectations and courage for growth. Their middle school brothers and sisters sang “The Day of Departure”, expressing their friendship and longing for the future. Students from the Chinese Drama Club communicated to us through “The Birth of Actors” performance that no matter where you are, you must remember why you set out.

In the second half of the concert, the children of the “Cloud Concert Youth Orchestra” brought three touching classic songs. The magic of music transcends national borders and touches the hearts of everyone present. At the end of the concert, the students sang the Chinese folk song “Jasmine” together, hoping that this flower of friendship would bloom here forever.

This concert was not only a stage for artistic exchange between Chinese and Australian children, but also a wonderful presentation by the young performers of SUIS Qingpu. At the end of the concert, our young representatives also gave carefully prepared gifts to the friends of the Cloud Concert Youth Orchestra to express their sincere gratitude to our friends from afar.

The whole concert was filled with the atmosphere of welcome and love, not only allowing the audience to enjoy a wonderful time, but also bringing the hearts of students from China and Australia closer together. This event successfully built a bridge for cultural exchange between the two countries. We believe that this flower of friendship can only bloom more brilliantly in the future!