On April 26 and 27, nine musicians of traditional Chinese instruments will give concerts featuring memorable old tunes.

Zhang Weiliang plays the xiao and the dizi, two kinds of vertical bamboo flutes; Li Xiangting plays the guqin, a seven-stringed plucked instrument; Hu Tianqun plays the sheng, a reed pipe wind instrument; Song Fei plays erhu, a two-stringed vertical fiddle; Jiang Kemei plays huqin, a two-stringed bowed instrument; Zhang Qiang plays pipa, a plucked string instrument with a fretted fingerboard; Xu Xuedong plays yangqin, dulcimer; Wang Zhongshan plays guzheng, a plucked instrument with 21 or 25 strings; Du Cong plays the panpipe.

From April 28 to 30, music and literature lovers can enjoy the "Chinese and Western Poem and Essay Musical Recitation."

The selected pieces are among the most popular modern and contemporary literary works in the world.

Of the Chinese works, the audience can enjoy the touching goodbye in the poem "Farewell, My Cambridge" by Chinese romantic poet Xu Zhimo (1897-1931). Dai Wangshu's "Lane in the Rain" recalls the pretty girl he loves. The story of Zhai Yongming's "Mother" pays tribute to the bond of mother and son.

Other famous modern and contemporary pieces include the works of Liang Shiqiu (1903-87), Ba Jin and Wen Yiduo (1899-1946).

Background music runs throughout the recitations. Stringed instruments, the flute and piano will accompany the lyrical poems and essays.

The music has been carefully selected to suit the mood and style of the literary pieces.

And there are many familiar faces among the performers, including Kai Li, Pu Cunxin as well as Ding Jianhua and Qiao Zhen.

"The recitations have been warmly embraced by audiences in Beijing," said Zhu Jin, the show presenter with the Forbidden City Concert Hall.

The hall started musical poem recitations in 1998, focused on the ancient Chinese poems of the Tang (AD 618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties. The combination of music and literature has been well received.

A few days later, on May 2 and 3, popular singers from the 1980s such as Wan Shanhong, Wang Jieshi, Zhang Baomo and Zheng Xulan will sing their greatest hits.

Lastly, the China Opera and Ballet Theatre orchestra will give concerts under the baton of Zhang Zheng.

These concerts on May 5 and 6 will feature popular music from movies including Ghost, Gone with the Wind, Pearl Harbor, Titanic, Love Story, Mission Impossible and Schindler's List.

The last concert showcases the musical. Audiences will be played selections from Cats, West Side Story, The Sound of Music, Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables.

(China Daily April 21, 2003)