Huayu98: Starting with mentoring pop divas

Of course, it will feel familiar yet strange...

The white-haired archbishop was thinking of the overture to Carmina Burana, "O Fortuna."

Carl Orff's 1936 work was inspired by medieval poetry discovered in a 13th-century monastery.

It is occasionally used as music for reflection in churches.

Church members have certainly heard this countless times.

But I've never heard of such a version.

This is a cover of ERA's hit song "The Mass" that Li Shuo "borrowed" a few years later.

Online enthusiasts jokingly call it the "Divine Song of German Tank Blitz," but it's actually not.

After the timpani, Li Shuo laid the foundation with electronic synthesizers, and deep sound waves surged from both sides of the stage.

The electric guitar accompaniment, combined with the rhythmic patterns of the chorus, exploded across the venue.

Li Shuo's posture behind the timpani gave the audience a sense of rhythmic pressure that was palpable.

A familiar melody.

A brand new power.

The young priest beside him asked in a low voice, "Archbishop, this...this is 'Oh, Fates'?"

The bishop remained silent.

He recalled hearing a live performance of Burana during his studies in the Vatican thirty years ago.

That was a grand performance by a symphony orchestra and chorus, solemn and dignified enough, but it didn't inspire the same awe as this!

He looked at the boy standing behind the timpani on the stage.

From the very first drumbeat, the rhythm of this breathtaking melody was entirely in his hands.

The music grew louder. The choir's voices rose in layers.

"Divano me"

Holy, Mi

Divano messi

Holy Messiah

Divano messia

Holy Messiah!

There's something audible, what they call divinity...

The archbishop's fingers trembled slightly on his knees.

He didn't even realize it himself.

And backstage.

Ms. Chen stood in the shadows, watching the performance on stage.

Her face was expressionless, but the knuckles of her fingers, which were gripping the program, were a little white.

Stable.

These two words flashed through her mind.

Ms. Chen recalled the first time Li Shuo came to the music club for rehearsal.

It was then that she recognized the boy as the young man who led the Chinese folk music ensemble in a performance at Victoria Park in that ATV special program.

All I can say is that she feels like she's struck gold that this kid came to Hanji International.

It's a pity... why did they only come in 12th grade?

The last note of "The Mass" fades out.

The stunned people came to their senses.

Several of the bishops in the front row were already applauding.

Archbishop Cantre turned his head and said something to Kwong Kwong-kit next to him. Kwong Kwong-kit nodded, his gaze still on the stage.

Li Shuo walked out from behind the timpani.

The spotlight followed his movement, while the background music never stopped.

Only then did everyone notice that there was a violin at his feet. He bent down, picked it up, and slung it over his shoulder.

The music club members behind them were also moving. The string section readjusted their positions and followed the accompaniment into a new rhythmic pattern.

Phil stood on the command platform and glanced at Li Shuo.

Li Shuo nodded.

Philip took a deep breath, remembering what Li Shuo had said... Swing it hard! The baton fell.

Li Shuo played his first melody using the violin skills taught to him by his grandmother, Song Zhuohua, when he was young.

The audience was stunned.

The melody evokes a strange sense of surging power.

It wasn't the oppressive shock of before, but something more open and brighter, like something was surging up inside my body.

Li Shuo continued playing.

The string section behind him followed his rhythm, and the layers of backing notes became richer and richer.

Then the drum kit was added.

It's not an ordinary drumbeat; it's a unique rhythm.

The sound produced by the drum kit and tom-tom drum is not dense but light and cheerful.

Coupled with the bright sound of bells hanging in ancient European towns, it creates a rhythm that makes you want to stay still.

Some people in the audience started stomping their feet unconsciously.

It's the kind of reaction you can't help when you hear a rhythm.

Why couldn't I resist? Because this music was so hot it was burning my feet!

The sound of stomping feet came from all directions, as if the audience was keeping time on their own.

Li Shuo glanced at the audience out of the corner of his eye, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

Viva La Vida.

Coldplay's hit song in 2008 later earned them a spot on the American Super Bowl, often referred to as the "Spring Festival Gala."

He took out half of it in advance and only used the version currently being played on the violin.

Lyrics are not needed.

The melody of this piece is powerful enough to make people feel the power of "long live life".

He drew the bow to the last long note and then slowly brought it to a stop.

The concert hall fell silent for a second.

This time, the applause was truly thunderous.

Archbishop Cantres in the front row was clapping, as was Kwong Kwong-kit and Father Di Heng.

The students in the back rows were also whispering among themselves, some asking the people next to them, "Is this still the music club of the Chinese International School?"

What's that young man's name?

Ms. Chen, standing backstage, was also very excited.

The applause gradually subsided.

Li Shuo didn't leave the stage; he simply walked to a standing microphone.

"Thank you. For the last song, please welcome our guest performer, Joey Yung!"

The spotlight moved and landed on the side platform.

Joey Yung stood there, wearing a long white dress, her hair down, holding a microphone in her hand.

She took a deep breath and walked onto the stage.

Someone in the audience recognized her.

"Isn't that... the one who participated in the singing competition before?"

"I think I've heard her sing before. I remember she was the champion that time, but I haven't seen her much since."

Amidst whispers, Joey Yung walked to the center of the stage and stood next to Li Shuo.

Li Shuo nodded to her and made way for her.

Joey Yung looked down at the audience.

My gaze fell on the parents' area of ​​the Chinese International School's music club.

"The next song, 'My Pride,' was written for me by Mr. Li Shuo, the teacher sitting next to me."

After she finished speaking, she remembered to add a sentence.

"They are also students from the music club at Hanji International School. They asked me to sing for them today, for the people they most want to hear..."

Li Shuo's violin melody came in at the right time.

The intro is simple and warm.

Joey Yung spoke.

"Pride in your eyes, rewrite the second half of my life..."

The voice was soft, yet firm and clear.

The audience fell silent.

"I'm proud to fly up high, even if it's just for every night I don't love..."

Li Shuo's violin seemed to be singing a duet with her, the bow gently caressing the strings, the melody intertwining with her voice.

In the parents' area of ​​the Hanji Music Club, the parents who were present listened to this song and began to look for their children on the stage.

Their expressions varied; some listened to the song with emotion, others with contemplation, some with smiles on their lips, while others stared blankly at the stage as if meeting their children for the first time.

But the same emotion appeared in their eyes... it was relief.

Phil stood on the conductor's platform, his eyes fixed on the music club members in front of him.

He wanted to turn around and take one last look at where his father was.

But he was in command, and he couldn't turn back.

He could only continue waving his baton to keep the music going.

Meanwhile, below the stage...

As Michael Kadoorie listened to the lyrics and looked at the upright figure on stage, his usually serious expression gradually softened.

A smile even appeared on his face.

At the center of the stage, Joey Yung continued singing.

""See me fly, I'm proud to fly up high..."

(Watching me soar, I proudly fly high...)

The audience was as quiet as a painting.

Li Shuo's violin played a melody, slowly bringing the music to a close.

The last note fell.

The curtain slowly closed.

Then... feeling relieved that the performance had ended smoothly, everyone quietly packed up and left the venue.

But the excitement of "we did it" circulated among them.

Phil stood in the crowd, surrounded by several boys who patted him on the shoulder, but he was clearly distracted.

He hurried to the edge of the curtain that had just fallen and carefully peeked out through a crack.

His gaze swept across the parents' section in the back row.

Then his eyes dimmed.

That spot is empty.

Phili lowered the curtain and stood there, stunned.

Li Shuo walked over, saw his expression, and patted him on the shoulder.

"Alright, that was very good."

Phil didn't say anything.

Seeing his dejected look, Li Shuo sighed.

This guy is actually a pretty good person, probably because he grew up in Hong Kong, China. He's usually cheerful and easygoing, which is quite endearing for a foreigner, and he never hesitates to help when needed.

"I'll teach you two new tricks later," Li Shuo said, "more advanced than the one for slicing a watermelon."

Phil looked up, about to speak, when his phone rang.

He glanced down at it.

Then his eyes narrowed.

Seeing his reaction, Li Shuo assumed he had been provoked again: "What's wrong?"

Phil didn't say anything, staring at the screen for several seconds.

Then he looked up, his expression a mix of disbelief, excitement, and a touch of disbelief in a daze.

"Boss."

His voice was a little unsteady.

"My father said... when I go to Brown University in the United States, he will give me a Lamborghini."

Li Shuo was stunned for a moment.

Then Phil grinned and burst into laughter, laughing like a fool.

He chuckled a few times, then suddenly remembered something and looked at Li Shuo again: "Boss, you said you'd teach me a couple more moves, was that true?"

Li Shuo looked at him and remained silent for two seconds.

Then I mouthed something to him.

"Ugh~!"