Life

Shows that shone

By Raymond Zhou and Chen Jie (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-12-28 08:04

Nov 21 street performance by Shanghai City Symphony Orchestra

It was not a technically flawless performance, but it was the most spontaneously emotional one, proving the power of music for healing.

Seven days after the inferno that took away 58 lives in Shanghai, the Shanghai City Symphony Orchestra's string section - a ragtag team of white-collar workers and expatriates - congregated at the site of the tragedy and performed a 30-minute concert for mourners. The soothing sounds of Schubert's Ave Maria seemed to position the dead on the wings of angels and helped survivors find some measure of peace.

We rate this the top show of the year because it came purely from the heart, not just of the 30-plus amateur musicians, but also those of a city and a nation.