New Year Concert of Mandopop of 30s~40s

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way. ~Charles Dickens(1812 - 1870), A Tale of Two Cities~

Learning by singing is a way to understand the lives in the early period of the Republic of China (ROC). Being in charge of the the New Year Concert of Mandopop of 30s to 40s, I was contented to produce a chamber concert of quality and success for 100 people at Cardinal Tien Hospital in Hsin-tien Wednesday morning, January 11th. It was the first ever. And I hope I can produce bigger and better New Year Concerts at Cardinal Tien Hospital in the years to come.

When the music played in air, together we transcent back to the new era of Chinese Republic between 30s and 40s. We lived again in the splendor days in the most glamorous and versatile city in China, Shanghai--the Pearl of the Orient. We listened to the beautiful songs of the childhood of our parents, and we were connected to the people in the best and worst of times in modern Chinese history.

吳萍康師生新春演唱會
民國風華─經典老歌大家唱
崇光、文山、內湖社大經典老歌班聯合演出

地點：天主教耕莘醫院E棟十四樓E1教室
地址：新北市新店區中正路362號
時間：民國101年1月11日（星期三）上午十點至十二點

時間 曲目 原唱者 演唱者
10:00-10:02 歡迎詞 林恆毅副院長 耕莘醫院
10:02-10:04 祝賀詞 吳治香主任秘書 崇光社大
10:04-10:06 經典老歌簡介 吳萍康老師 崇光文山內湖
10:06-10:10 桃花江 姚 莉 開場大合唱 崇光文山內湖
10:10-10:15 天倫歌 吳萍康老師 崇光文山內湖
10:15-10:20 我有一段情 吳鶯音 梁玉春 文山社大
10:20-10:25 斷腸紅 吳鶯音 趙瑞芬 文山社大
10:25-10:30 何必相逢 吳鶯音 李向慈 崇光社大
10:25-10:30 月圓花好 周 璇 鄧紀屏 文山社大
10:35-10:40 春之晨 周 璇 葉玉嬌 內湖社大
10:35-10:40 夜上海 周 璇 鄒建輝、林彩紅、李向慈、陳惠娟 崇光內湖
10:40-10:45 五月的風 周 璇 孫茜蓉 崇光社大
10:45-10:50 情人的眼淚 潘秀瓊 陳瑛慈 內湖社大
10:45-10:50 我是浮萍一片 白 光 金 玲 內湖社大
10:50-10:55 天邊一朵雲 白 光 高沛麗、孫惠英、金 玲 文山內湖
10:55-11:00 採西瓜 姚 莉 吳萍康老師 崇光文山內湖
11:00-11:05 秦淮河畔 姚 莉 孫茜蓉 崇光社大
11:05-11:10 春去春又回 甄 妮 彭淑宏 文山社大
11:10-11:15 滿江紅 朱成奎 文山社大
11:15-11:20 小時候 李香蘭 曾武雄 崇光社大
11:20-11:25 恨不相逢未嫁時李香蘭 陳惠娟 崇光社大
11:25-10:30 十里洋場 李香蘭 孫惠英 文山社大
11:40-11:45 秋水伊人 龔秋霞 許金星 內湖社大
11:45-11:50 合家歡 周 璇 全體大合唱 崇光文山內湖
11:50-12:00 謝幕＆大合照

After the concert, Grace Chen invited me for afternoon coffee at Chosen Coffee at the lobby of Cardinal Tien Hospital to share our afterthoughts about the concert. We had a check list to evaluate if our concert is of quality, for instance, performers, venue, audio sound track, lighting. We were pleased with our audience. They were properly attired. They observed the house rules. They applaused at the right time to cheer up the performers.

An octogenarian lady sat at the next table at Chosen Coffee, overheard our conversation. She told us she knew all the classic Chinese jazz songs we sang at the concert, but she didn't know there was a concert. (Obviously, I should have worked harder to promote the concert.) She asked us how I went through the red tape and bureaucracy to give a concert at a teaching hospital. After I told her all the details, the octogenarian lady frowned her forehead and replied that she would not do it if she were in my shoes—too many headaches.

At the beginning of year 2012, I am contented that I made it happen, the New Year Concert of early Chinese jazz songs, for 18 singers classmates, for the community in Hsin-tien, and for myself. I shall have a story to tell for a long time. And I shall continue to explore many interesting stories for my autobiography when I am an octogenarian.