Chamber choirs have an enduring image in popular culture - and it's not a flattering one. 'When people think of a choir, they think of stuffy singers standing up and holding their hands in front of them singing 'la la la',' says conductor, musicologist and Hong Kong Baptist University professor John Winzenburg.
Winzenburg has made it his mission to prove them wrong. This month, the university's Cantoria Hong Kong chamber choir will perform 'New Sounds in Choral Music of China & the World' at Beijing's National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), with Winzenburg conducting.
The programme eschews Bach, Mozart and Beethoven for what Winzenburg terms a 'fusion concerto' showcasing contemporary composers who hail from China to Africa. Gone are the angelic warblings. In come the frenetic drums, beats, and vocals.
'In many ways our concert is a reflection of this quickly growing interest in music around the world,' Winzenburg says. 'I doubt that this particular type of [choral music] concert has been done more than a few times ever on the mainland.'
'New Sounds' is part of the NCPA's Weekend Concert series, designed to educate and expose mainland audiences to classical music. With reasonably priced tickets and a grandiose setting in the imposing Concert Hall - which can seat more than 2,000 people - the series has become increasingly popular in the capital.
An educational component will be provided by Dr Helen Cha, from the Department of Music at Baptist University, who will give a Putonghua introduction to each piece, explaining its significance, history, and musical make-up.