The "Old vs. New - Sinicization of Christian Music" concert was held at the Beijing Christian Haidian Church.
According to Beijing CC&TSPM, the July 28 event was attended by more than 600 participants, including members of the Beijing CC&TSPM, pastoral staff, church workers, and fellow Christians. Leaders of the Beijing Catholic Church as well as leaders of the Buddhist and Islamic communities in Beijing were also present.
In his speech, Pastor Wu Weiqing, Chairman of Beijing TSPM, said that by tracing the development of Catholicism and Christianity in China, the concert aimed to show its audience the Christian idea of the integration of traditional culture as well as the quest for contemporary Catholicism and Christianity in the sinicization of Christian music.
The performances were arranged in chronological order, showing the process of Christianity's integration and adaptation into Chinese culture since its arrival in China more than 1,300 years ago. The concert was divided into three sections: Nestorianism, Catholicism, and Christianity. Participating groups and individuals included the choir of Beijing Haidian Christian Church, the choir of Chongwenmen Church, the Glorious Choir of Fengtai Church, the Cathojoy Choir of Beijing Archdiocese, and the Chinese National Academy of Arts.
The concert began with a prayer by Pastor Liu Cuimin, the president of the Beijing Christian Council, and ended with a blessing by Pastor Wu Weiqing.
- Translated by Joyce Leung
