Shared American/Chinese Choir Concert in Shenzhen

The Wayland Baptist University International Choir recently returned from touring and performing in China as part of the American Celebration of Music in China concert series. The following is a report given by Dr. Scott Herrington, the director:

My general feedback is that your MCI associates in Hong Kong and China did an exemplary job of introducing us to their country. It certainly fulfilled the goals I had for the tour. I appreciated the order and flexibility of the tour. It was well-planned and executed by personnel that genuinely seemed to care for the well-being of our students. In return, our students grew to appreciate and personally care for them.

I cannot give enough accolades to your Chinese staff. They could not have been better tour managers. They have a unique gift of making you feel that your group certainly must be the best group with which they have ever worked. They related well with the students and bent over backwards to make sure we were comfortable and to serve our needs both individually and as a group. They were obviously proud to show us their country, but seemed equally proud to be associated and seen with our group.

One of the outstanding parts of our trip was the opportunity to interact with students over a meal and otherwise. This was great. We had a couple of wonderful experiences with the Shenzhen students. The welcome they gave us was outstanding. As we drove up to the university, there were many, many students waiting to greet us with a welcome banner and numerous posters announcing the joint concert. We then had opportunity to eat with the students, their director, and accompanist. Again, everyone mingled and visited over the meal.

Our concerts were definitely highlights of the tour. Our concert at Kowloon International Baptist Church was a wonderful experience in every way. The auditorium was packed! The acoustics were wonderful, a very nice venue in which to perform. The audience was very enthusiastic. Our students were made to feel like “rock stars” following the concert. The college students in the church basically mobbed our students for pictures and conversation. We were received in much the same way at our shared concert at Shenzhen University, which was also a packed house.

I will be happy to serve as a reference for anybody that is considering a tour to China.

Wayland Baptist University International Choir
Dr. John Scott Herrington - Director of Choral Studies