At the start of May the China Philharmonic Orchestra performed a concert for Pope Benedict XVI featuring Mozart and traditional Chinese music. Now Yu Lun, artistic director of the Orchestra, speaks about an event that could signal a thaw in the historically chilly relations between the Vatican and the Chinese government.

"Back in April The Vatican first offered this olive branch," said Yu Lun whose excitement knew no bounds at the prospect of the ground-breaking tour. "We received their invitation on April 8, so we had only one month to get prepared. Time was short and we were under enormous pressure,"Yu told Beijing Evening News a few days ago.

Mr. Yu was also conscious of the pressure from the political nuance the invitation carried. Last summer, Pope Benedict had issued an open letter directed to Chinese Catholics seeking to heal the rift between underground congregations loyal to the Vatican and state-approved Catholic churches in China.

"At first, Mahler's Song of Earth was included in the shortlist. Having learnt that the Pope is a devotee of Mozart's music, we picked Mozart's Requiem in place of Mahler,"Yu explained. "I should say the Pope is as much a pianist as he is a religious leader."

After the concert it transpired that the choice has been a triumph. Mozart's Requiem was highly lauded by the Pope, who considered it the best performance he had ever heard.

"Some people think we should feature more Chinese music instead of western, but I am always looking for something different. Music is a universal language which can bring different peoples with different cultures and religions together. Our repertoire showed friendship towards and respect for the audience."

"We hope to show them that we understand other parts of the world and their music and culture. China is an open country," added Yu.

"What made me most nervous was not the performance but the address at the beginning of the concert. Up to that point I had polished my draft of the address again and again. But at the last minute I just abandoned it and delivered an impromptu speech, using simple words to express myself," said Mr. Yu, who stressed the tour was a cultural exchange rather than a political mission.

(China.org.cn by He Shan June 17, 2008)