Popular choir group back with a new hit

One of the Rainbow Chamber Singers' latest songs touches on the idyllic life in the countryside and has received wide acclaim

Rainbow Chamber Singers, a Shanghai-based amateur choir that has seen its stock rise rapidly since its hit song Where On Earth Did You Leave the Key, Zhang Shichao? debuted in 2016, is back with another new hit.

Performed during their latest tour of the country, the song Travels in White Horse Village received acclaim from audiences, many of whom lavished praise on it on social media.

One netizen who goes by the username Yiye Buzaixian said: "The scenes depicted reminds me of my childhood with my grandparents back in my hometown. That is a time that I can never go back to but we can build a simple White Horse Village in our hearts to retain a pureness that can never be defeated by reality."

First performed in Hangzhou in December, the song describes idyllic village life and countryside scenery as a reprieve from sorrow and suffering in the real world.

Founded in 2010 by the choir's conductor Jin Chengzhi and a small group of his fellow schoolmates from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, the Rainbow Chamber Singers has for the past few years endeared themselves to the public with their quirky songs that are unconventional of traditional choirs in China. The choir today has 56 members.

In China, many choral works take the form of "red songs" that eulogize the nation. What the Rainbow Chamber Singers do instead is perform lighthearted songs with humorous lyrics. For instance, Where On Earth Did You Leave the Key, Zhang Shichao? is based on the story of Jin's former university classmate who forgot to leave their room key behind before going on a date.

The song is divided into sections that include elements from the Latin soprano aria Sancta Maria.

Ren Baoping, deputy councilor of the Chorus Association of China, commented online that instead of being overly serious like other Chinese chorus works, the humorous song represented an innovative breakthrough in culture by challenging the traditional perception of a choir.

"A lot of excellent choral works were influenced by the spirit of the era, like dedication and persistence. For instance, The Yellow River Cantata by Chinese composer Xian Xinghai inspires listeners to participate in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-45)," said Jin.

"However, as society progresses, the definition of good music has become more diverse. If we simply stick to something for no good reason, the art will lose its original charm."

Some of the Rainbow Chamber Singers' other hit songs touch on current social issues. In So Far, the Sofa Is So Far, the choir talks about the hectic lifestyle that many Chinese lead. The video of the performance, which featured the singers wearing black suits and head gear resembling dog ears, was an overnight sensation, garnering a click-through rate of 3 million just seven hours after it was released on Weibo.

"The song is an anthem for millions of employees. It uses daily Beijing life as a backdrop and talks about issues such as frequent overtime work," said Jin.

For Jin, his musical works are a recollection of personal experiences, books he has read, and an expression of his emotions.

"I never seek inspiration on purpose. If I feel inspired at a cafe in Shanghai, my work might be a little jazzy. If I were to feel inspired while living near the West Lake in Zhejiang province's Hangzhou, the music I create might be more pastoral," he said.

One of his most popular works, Zeya Anthology, was inspired by the Zeya Mountain in his hometown of Wenzhou where his parents are currently residing.

"The song talks about a leisurely time in the mountain when my father would do farming and fishing while my mother grows flowers and cooks," said Jin.

"Also, the piece titled Fu Yao is motivated by the book of Zhuangzi, an ancient Chinese text with stories exemplifying the ideal Taoist sage, and Yumenguan is stimulated by ancient war stories in China."

The 31-year-old never used to be fond of singing, pointing out that it was "the most boring thing in the world" during his primary school days.

"I started to learn the piano when I was 3 years old and joined a choir in primary school. We had three-hour-long choir sessions thrice a week. All we did was repeatedly sing one song throughout the entire semester. It was crazy," he said.

"Even today, good songs for children choirs are scarce in China, especially at primary and secondary schools. That's why I plan to write a book for children, including 140 songs classified into seven groups based on various difficulty levels. I hope to be able to do this before I turn 40," said Jin.

After learning of his below average results in high school, Jin's teacher encouraged him to pick up the art of conducting before the college examination.

Eager to find out more, Jin joined a conducting program at the China Conservatory of Music in Beijing in 2007. He also learned choir singing and songwriting on the side.

A year later, he was transferred to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music where he and a few schoolmates founded the Rainbow Chamber Singers.

The choir started by performing a concert every six months. Their early works were usually old favorites and newly written traditional-style pieces. Jin then decided to mix things up in 2016 by combining serious music with comedic lyrics and social commentary.

Despite its status as an amateur choir, Jin wants the world to know that they are serious about their craft and not simply fooling around to become an online sensation.

"With regard to my works, I hope the audience knows our team is a serious choir that strives to perform good choral works while bringing happiness to them," said Jin.

"Along with our love to music, a free and simple attitude to life is also what we want to achieve."