The 1st Student Chamber Orchestra Concert

Adolescence is a period when the youth have many dreams for the future and worries as well. On August 21, the Church of God held the 1st Student Chamber Orchestra to cheer the teenagers who were trying to adapt to the class in school after the COVID-19 pandemic and to recharge them with strength to move forward. The Church of God has held cultural events such as the student orchestra tour under the slogan, “Beautiful Resonance Between You and Me,” and character education to cultivate the emotions of the youth and stabilize their mental health.

More than 1,100 people, including not only students who brought their friends to make a good memory in a new semester but also parents and education officials, attended the concert, which was held at the New Jerusalem Imae Temple in Bundang, Gyeonggi-do, Korea. Through the concert, the participants had time to soothe their minds from the pandemic and communicate with one another across generations. It was also broadcast on YouTube, and more than 4,200 people watched it together.

At 1 p.m., the concert began with the theme, “Harmony of Dreams and Hopes.” The Chamber Orchestra, consisting of Church of God student and young adult members, played Steve Barakatt’s Flying, on violin, viola, cello, flute, and clarinet, through which they created a soft and dynamic atmosphere and caught everybody’s attention from the beginning. Additionally, various songs such as the OST from the movie Frozen and a Korean lullaby “A Cottage on an Isle,” which are familiar to teenagers, stimulate the audience’s sensibility. The audience enjoyed the concert in their own way; the performers exchanged eye contacts and harmonized with each other, and the audience moved their bodies according to the melody.

The finale of the concert was the student choir’s performance. Singing “A Whole New World” the OST of the movie Aladdin, they wished that everyone’s future would be bright and fantastic. When they sang the popular song in Kenya, “Jambo Bwana,” they shouted “Hakuna Matata” which means, “No worries! It’s not a problem,” together, wishing a great future altogether. The audience reacted with fervent applause and cheers to the choir, who conveyed joyful comfort and cheer through their cute rhythmic movements that made hearts with their fingers, even playing musical instruments such as djembe, kayamba, maraca, and so on.

Before and after the event, the students dropped by the booth for calligraphy postcards and the photo zone, and looked around the panel display. Friends, seniors and juniors, who met again after vacation, kept chatting joyfully. The young adult members who were in charge of writing calligraphy postcards wholeheartedly wrote, “Thank you for your efforts all the time,” “Don’t worry. You are doing a good job,” for those who make every effort to live today for a better tomorrow. The participants gave those postcards to their friends, or they themselves wrote, “Thank You,” on the postcards to give it to their parents. The photo zone was crowded with the visitors who were holding a violin or a cello in order to leave a pleasant memory from the concert.

Park Sae-rim (a ninth grader), who was invited by her friend, said, “I‘ve been very anxious about the university entrance exam, but today I was happy to take a break from it. I’m especially impressed with the cheering from the students at my age. It’s amazing that students like me were able to comfort others.” A father Seo Woong-gi, who came with his wife to cheer for her son who is a choir member, said, “When you think of an orchestra concert, you may feel bored. However, they impressively orchestrated so that both the audience and the performers could enjoy it. It’s nice to see the students cheering for each other.”

Lim Jong-won, the Principal of Seowon High School, said, “I was surprised that the education for students to bond with each other was accomplished through this church. You’re doing a good job, expanding the range of social activities for students through cultural events. It’s an event where teenagers can renew their minds while adapting to the changed environment.”

Hope motivates us to go for our dreams. The Church of God will continue to support students in various ways so that they can continue their school life brightly and energetically.