May 23, 2016

Zhuhai

I'm writing this blog in my hotel room, looking out over the Pearl River estuary, and on the other side of the river is the City of Macau. We are in Zhuhai, where we performed last night in the beautiful concert hall of the city's Grand Theatre. This is one of many booming cities here in China, with a huge amount of new buildings, including the Grand Theatre, which is in a complex which is dwarfed by a huge skyscraper, still under construction. We are down in southern China, and it is, not surprisingly, quite humid. It is a week since we left home, and we have now done the last of the concerts in China for this trip. Tomorrow we head to Taiwan for a couple of days, and from there we go to Japan. Since arriving in Beijing last Tuesday, we have covered a fair distance, but without flying anywhere. We've used the amazing express train service that whisks you from place to place at speeds in excess of 300 kmh. It's a very comfortable service, and although it takes longer than flying, it is only marginal. With the unpredictable weather of this part of the world, it is often a more reliable way to get around.Last night, at the end of our concert here in Zhuhai, we had the delight of being serenaded by the audience, as they sang us "Auld Lang Syne". Having heard the choir of Zhuhai's Dulwich High School sing before the concert, we are well aware of the singing credentials of this city, and we look forward to returning soon, not least to sing in the great acoustics of the concert hall. The view from my hotel room isn't bad either.