Danny Boy and "China Children Chorus"

YouTube link

This is a "Danny Boy" version by "Children and Young Women's Chorus of the China National Symphony Orchestra" (Sometimes called Children's Chorus of China) 中国交响乐团附属少年及女子合唱团

(Update: 17 Mar 2010, a reader is asking the Chinese lyrics of this song today, here it is:

在我的故乡河流日夜歌唱，曾记得我时常徘徊游荡，
春天早晨采朵金色水仙花，整个世界使春色放光芒。
我的故乡啊永远盼望的故乡。绿草如茵，江水静静的流，
游子的心啊向往美丽的小岛，如今却远隔着重洋。
那美丽的河水环绕我们的家乡，鱼儿跃在水堤上，
海鸥的歌声至今我仍听见，在梦中仍然那样嘹亮。
让时光快快飞逝快快飞逝，我愿故乡安然无恙，
但愿我没被亲人遗忘，重回故乡再过幸福生活。)

This chorus is known to be in the top 5 chorus in the world; actually No.1 from 1995~1996 when I was a fan in Beijing back then. Its director and producer is Dr. Yang HongNian. Before I went abroad in 1997, I went to his home. He gave me a non-commercial recording with his signature. Among the list is this Chinese version of Danny Boy. In my impression this is one of the song never have been published to the market in their published titles.

More on an introduction of 'Danny Boy'; its lyric; an introduction of this chorus; and some more images:


Danny boy is a traditional Irish song. It's a song of hope. It's about a Dad whose son, Danny Boy, is off to war. It says, when his son will be back, he may be dead. But his grave will be warmer and sweeter, for Danny Boy will bend and say he loves him. Then he shall sleep in peace until Danny comes to him.

Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side
The summer's gone, and all the flowers are dying
'Tis you, 'tis you must go and I must bide.
But come ye back when summer's in the meadow
Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow
'Tis I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow
Oh Danny boy, oh Danny boy, I love you so.

And if you come, when all the flowers are dying
And I am dead, as dead I well may be
You'll come and find the place where I am lying
And kneel and say an "Ave" there for me.

And I shall hear, tho' soft you tread above me
And all my dreams will warm and sweeter be
If you'll not fail to tell me that you love me
I'll simply sleep in peace until you come to me.

I'll simply sleep in peace until you come to me. 

Here is a beautiful English version:

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Jgma--0WYU 240 220]

中国交响乐团附属少年及女子合唱团

享 誉海内外的中国交响乐团附属少年及女子合唱团，由著名音乐教育家、指挥家、中央音乐学院教授杨鸿年教授于1983年创建。二十多年来，合唱团已积累了近千 首中外歌曲，演出近400场。合唱团的足迹遍及欧、美、亚各大洲，以及台湾、香港、澳门地区，所到之处均引起极大的轰动，先后荣获六项国际大奖。

1987 年应邀参加在华盛顿举行的第三届国际童声合唱节，获前总统里根亲笔签署的“最高鉴赏证书”。1989年参加匈牙利“柯达伊”合唱作品国际比赛，获得了“极 其优秀”的评价及荣誉证书。合唱团曾于1993年和2001年两次随北京市申奥代表团分别赴摩纳哥和莫斯科参加申办奥运主办权的活动。1996年合唱团在 意大利参加第44届“圭多·达莱佐”国际复调合唱比赛，合唱团以自己特有的艺术魅力和精湛的技艺征服了欧洲，一举荣获四项大奖，创造了该项比赛历史上的记 录。1999年合唱团赴俄罗斯参加纪念普希金诞辰200周年“莫斯科青年天才音乐节”，荣获唯一的特别奖和第一届国际合唱电视竞赛“金音叉”奖第一名。 2003年2月合唱团作为亚洲地区的唯一代表，应邀在全美合唱指挥家年会上作示范演出，合唱团精彩的演出令在场的9000名来自全美及世界各地的著名指挥 家多次长时间起立鼓掌，演出取得了巨大的成功。2004年5月合唱团应邀赴新加坡与新加坡交响乐团、新加坡合唱团以及拉脱维亚合唱团合作演出了“马勒第八 ”——《千人交响曲》，在新加坡引起了极大的轰动。2006年2月合唱团应邀赴马来西亚、新加坡等地进行东南亚巡回演出。

合唱团一贯以“爱”和“奉献”的精神支持“希望工程”，为孤儿村演出，为全国中小学音乐教师演出。合唱团决心为推动合唱艺术、普及国民音乐教育发挥应有的作用，并将尽力为促进我国青少年与各国、各地区人民之间的友好往来与文化交流做出贡献。

二十年余来，杨鸿年教授培养出了上千名热爱音乐的孩子，合唱团为祖国赢得了无数的荣誉，他们在中国合唱史上谱写了辉煌绚丽的一页。











Children and Young Women's Chorus of the China National Symphony Orchestra

The world famous "The Children and Young Women's Chorus of the China National Symphony Orchestra" was founded in 1983 By Yang Hongnian, Professor of Conducting Department of the Central Conservatory of Music. Its members are students from primary and middle schools in Beijing. Professor Yang Hongnian and associate Professor Yang Li are the conductors, Professor Tang Chongqing from Capital Normal University is the Art Director and Accompanist.

In the past 20 years, under the training of Central Conservatory Music Professor Yang Hongnian, a renowned music educator and conductor, the chorus has accumulated nearly 1000 songs and 400 performances. In January of 1988, the chorus won the first prize at "The Gold Cup National Tapes Competition". In October of 1991, the chorus was awarded the first prize for the Youth's Group in the Beijing Chorus Festival. The Chorus left their music in Europe, America and Asia as well as Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, with special sensations everywhere they visited. They have been awarded six international major awards and praised as one of the seven major children's choruses in the world. In 1987 the Chorus was invited to tour the US, participating in the International Children's Choir Festival held in Washington D.C. Former President Ronald Reagan signed the Highest Appreciation Certificate to the Chorus. In 1989 the Chorus received an honorary certificate from the Hungarian Kodaly Association commending its distinguished performance in the International Competition of Kodaly Chorus Works. The chorus has been invited four times to Japan on concert tours. It was praised as a "superior chorus, not only the pride of China but also the pride of our Orient; not only China's national treasure, but also the treasure of the world". In 1990, the chorus visited Vienna, Austria to participate in the chorus concert of "Country of Music-Young Singers from the Foot of the Great Wall". The former President of Austria highly praised their performance: "If only all the residents of Vienna could enjoy such wonderful music".

The Chorus has visited Singapore twice which stimulated strong local sensations of praise.It was praised: "Such excellent concert has no precedent in Singapore and will properly not be surpassed in the future." The Chorus has toured Taiwan four times and caused great sensations over the entire Island. It was praised as "the common pride of Chinese people on both sides of the Strait." The Chorus has twice accompanied the Chinese Olympic Committee to visit Monaco and Moscow in 1993 and 2001 for the Chinese bidding of the Olympiad. In 1996, the Chorus participated in the 44th International Polyphonic Contest "Guido d' Arezzo" and was awarded 4 prizes, breaking the all-time record of the Chorus Competition.

In 1997, the Chorus was selected as the "Best Performing Group" at the 5th International Children's Chorus Festival in Arizona of USA. In 1999, the Chorus attended the "Moscow Young Talent Music Festival" for Pushkin's 200 year ceremony and was awarded the only special award and number one of the "Golden Sound Folks" award of the first International Chorus Television Competition. Last February, as the only Asian representative, the Chorus conducted a show-case performance at ACDA's annual meeting and participated ACDA's concerts at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and Riverside Church of New York. The superb performance of the Chorus was received with a standing ovation of the over 9000 top conductors participating from all over the world, They were received with enthusiasm and achieved great success.

Over 20 years, professor Yang Hongnian has trained over 1000 young music lovers. The Chorus has won numerous honors for China giving Chinese history of choral music many colorful and magnificent pages.

二十年来，在杨鸿年教授的培养训练下，合唱团已积累了近千首中外歌曲，演出近400场。1988年在中央电视台“通美杯 ”磁带评比活动中荣获金奖第一名。1991年荣获北京市合唱节少年组第一名。合唱团的足迹遍及欧、美、亚各大洲，以及台湾、香港、澳门地区，所到之处均引 起极大的轰动，先后荣获六项国际大奖，被誉为世界七大童声合唱团之一。1987年应邀参加在华盛顿举行的第三届国际童声合唱节，获前总统里根亲笔签署的“ 最高鉴赏证书”。1989年参加匈牙利“柯达伊”合唱作品国际比赛，获得了“极其优秀”的评价及荣誉证书。合唱团曾四次应邀赴日本举办合唱音乐会，被称 为：“超一流的合唱团。不但是中国人的骄傲，也是我们东方人的骄傲”、 “不仅是中国的国宝，也是世界的珍宝”。1990年赴奥地利维也纳举行《音乐之乡——来自长城脚下的小歌手》合唱音乐会。奥地利前总统称赞说：“这样好的 音乐会应该让全维也纳人都能欣赏到才好”。合唱团曾两度赴新加坡演出，在当地引起强烈轰动，被媒体评介为：“这样好的音乐会在新加坡历史上是空前的，今后 恐难超越。合唱团四次在台湾进行全岛巡回演出，风靡祖国宝岛，被称赞为“两岸中国人共有的骄傲”。合唱团曾于1993年和2001年两次随北京市申奥代表 团分别赴摩纳哥和莫斯科参加申办奥运主办权的活动。1996年合唱团在意大利参加第44届“圭多 达莱佐”国际复调合唱比赛，合唱团以自己特有的艺术魅力和精湛的技艺征服了欧洲，一举荣获四项大奖，创造了该项比赛历史上的记录。1997年合唱团在美国 亚利桑那州举办的第五届国际童声合唱节上被评为“最佳演出团体”。1999年合唱团赴俄罗斯参加纪念普希金诞辰200周年“莫斯科青年天才音乐节”，荣获 唯一的特别奖和第一届国际合唱电视竞赛“金音叉”奖第一名。2003年2月合唱团作为亚洲地区的唯一代表，应邀在全美合唱指挥家年会上作示范演出，并参加 了该协会在纽约卡内基音乐厅 (Carnegie Hall), 林肯艺术中心 (Lincoln Center)和河边大教堂（Riverside Church）举行的2003年年会的三场音乐会。合唱团精彩的演出令在场的9000名来自全美及世界各地的著名指挥家多次长时间起立鼓掌，演出取得了巨 大的成功。

二十年来，杨鸿年教授培养出了上千名热爱音乐的孩子，合唱团为祖国赢得了无数的荣誉，他们在中国合唱史上谱写了辉煌绚丽的一页。