European Choir of Practitioners Performs at Chinese Gala in New York

On January the 17th and 18th 2004, the European “Coming For You" Choir gave its first official public performance at the Manhattan Cultural Center in New York City. Performing at the Chinese New Year Gala held by NTDTV, a global Chinese TV station, the 85-strong choir was comprised of both Western and Chinese Falun Gong practitioners from across Europe. They sang the song from which the Choir gets its name: “Coming For You”

In November 2001, 36 western Falun Gong practitioners went to Tiananmen Square in Bejing to appeal for an end to the brutal persecution in China which has claimed hundreds of innocent lives. They held up a large banner which read, “Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance" before police arrested them, and took them away. Chinese practitioners of Falun Gong were deeply touched by the brave actions of these western practitioners. One Falun Gong practitioner was inspired to write a song about their peaceful appeal; this is the song which the choir sang.

Written in four part harmony, the song itself has a simple, yet beautiful melody. Sung In five different languages, in Chinese, English, German, Italian and Swedish, the song’s message of compassion transcended the cultures and languages represented. Knowing that several of the practitioners have actually been to Tiananmen Square to appeal, one was even more aware of the sincerity conveyed in their voices. From the faces of the performers, from their singing, from the care which had clearly gone into the preparation, and from the energy radiating from their performance, it was apparent that the singers truly meant every word they sang. “Precious Chinese people, please listen to my heart felt voice” was not a just a lyric, but a true plea from the heart.

"I Come Here For You" European Choir at the New York Gala 2004

The audience of 2,500 Chinese people and western people responded very positively on both nights, their applause still ringing around the theatre as the curtain went down ready for the next act on both nights. Hearing the western practitioners in the choir start to sing in perfect Chinese, the Chinese members of the audience spontaneously burst into a round of applause. Many of the audience said that they found the song was very beautiful and hoped to be able to hear it again soon.

If the Chinese audience watching on television when the performance is televised have a similar response, then the song and the choir can truly have a great effect in washing away the poisonous lies spread about Falun Gong by the Jiang Regime. If this performance was a reflection of what is to come, then the choir and this song have great potential to touch people’s hearts and to replace the slanderous propaganda with harmony and compassion.