Since 2005, the Singapore Chinese Orchestra has been invited every decade to perform The Yellow River Cantata for Yangzheng Primary School’s anniversary celebrations, honouring the deep connection between composer Xian Xinghai and his alma mater. This year marks both the 120th anniversary of Yangzheng Primary School’s founding and the 120th anniversary of Xian Xinghai’s birth. Supported by the Yangzheng Foundation, the concert continues this tradition, highlighting how education serves as a vital conduit for passing on the arts legacy.

Xian Xinghai, a towering figure in the history of modern Chinese music, was born in Macau in 1905 and moved to Southeast Asia with his mother at a tender age, in search of a livelihood. At age 14, Xian entered Yangzheng School as a boarding student and supported himself through part-time work, including ringing the school bell. He remained at Yangzheng until 1921, when then-principal Lin Yaoxiang, who also headed the Overseas Chinese School under Lingnan University to prepare overseas Chinese students for studies in China, selected 20 Yangzheng students to return to China for further education. Xian was among them, and that same year he enrolled in the affiliated high school of Lingnan University.

While at Yangzheng, Xian’s musical gift was spotted by music teacher Ou Jianfu and he invited Xian to join the school’s military band. He soon rose to the role of captain and conductor in the school band. The band’s repertoire was rich with rousing military songs and marches, that left a deep and indelible mark on his later compositions. These formative years at Yangzheng were not only the beginning of his musical journey, but also a cherished chapter in the shared cultural history between Singapore and China.

The concert opens with the well-loved Four Cantonese Classics, arranged by celebrated composer Wu Hua to showcase the spirited energy and lyrical grace of Lingnan music. First commissioned by the China National Traditional Orchestra in 1998 and unveiled the following year at the “Chinese National Music Concert” in Vienna’s Musikverein Golden Hall, this work has since become a defining representation of Cantonese music in the Chinese orchestral repertoire.

Next, Chronicles of Yangzheng is a new commissioned work for the anniversary by Cultural Medallion recipient and former SCO composer-in-residence Law Wai Lun. Drawing on local author Ho Nai Kiong’s book A Chronicle of Early Yangzheng, the work unfolds in three chapters along the school’s timeline. Chwee Lan Hillock (a historical name for what is now Club Street) recalls Yangzheng’s founding years and its spirit of perseverance, framed by three versions of the school song from different eras. The Octagonal Pavilion reflects on the time when Xian Xinghai received his first musical training there, intertwining gentle melodies with motifs from his celebrated works. Light of Yangzheng brings together school songs from three periods in a rousing tribute to the school’s century-long journey and enduring legacy.

The concert’s centrepiece, The Yellow River Cantata was composed by Xian Xinghai in 1939 and widely regarded as a milestone in modern Chinese music. Written during the Second Sino-Japanese War, the work was part of the leftist cultural movement that sought to rouse national resistance through art. Drawing on poet Guang Weiran’s Yellow River and inspired by the thundering majesty of the Hukou Waterfall, it evokes both the grandeur of the river and the determination of a nation fighting for survival. Xian completed the score in just six days while he lived in a humble cave dwelling at the Yan’an Communist base. Spanning eight movements, it blends narration, solo voices and chorus to create an enduring portrait of China’s “mother river” and the unyielding spirit it came to represent.

This performance features a full-fledged Chinese orchestra, joined by the 150-strong Vocal Associates Festival Chorus, soprano He Miya, baritone Seow Chee Chuan and narrator Johnny Ng, in a collective ascent of this musical summit that transports the audience back to a time of passion, turmoil, and unyielding resolve.

Tracing history over a century, the concert journeys from intimate memories of school life to the stirring spirit of a nation. It stands as both a tribute to Yangzheng’s heritage and a testament to the power of education and music. It also narrates the story of the school’s hundred-year legacy with clarity and conviction.