卯兔凌空辞旧岁，辰龙献瑞贺新年。2月10日大年初一晚上，作为2024年英国“欢乐春节”项目的重头戏之一， 爱丁堡中国新年音乐会在亚瑟厅 (Usher Hall) 盛大举行。爱丁堡爱乐乐团与各国艺术家们为数千名观众献上了一台精彩绝伦的音乐盛典。音乐会中西合璧，兼具创新，不仅推广了中国传统文化与艺术，表达了喜迎新年的美好愿望，也为中国与苏格兰源远流长的友谊增加了新的篇章。

As the Year of the Rabbit soars into the sky, and the Year of the Dragon brings auspicious blessings for the new year, on the evening of February 10th, the Edinburgh Chinese New Year Concert took centre stage as a highlight of the 2024 UK “Happy Spring Festival” project. Held at the Usher Hall, the concert featured splendid performances by the Edinburgh Symphony Orchestra and artists from various countries. The concert seamlessly blended Eastern and Western elements, showcasing innovation, promoting Chinese traditional culture and art, and expressing joyful hopes for the new year. It also added a new chapter to the longstanding friendship between China and Scotland.

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音乐会开始前，爱丁堡市长罗伯特阿布里奇先生和中国驻爱丁堡总领馆张彪总领事及嘉宾们共同为中国狮点睛，寓意龙年鸿运高照、吉祥如意。爱丁堡的民众们在严寒中兴致勃勃地欣赏了喜庆热闹的舞龙舞狮，行云流水的太极拳，以及欢快热烈的苏格兰民族舞蹈。

Before the music concert began, Mr. Robert Aldridge, the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, and Consul General Biao Zhang from the Chinese Consulate in Edinburgh, along with other distinguished guests, jointly performed the traditional eye-dotting ceremony for the Chinese lion. This symbolic act represents auspicious blessings and good fortune for the Year of the Dragon. Despite the chilly weather, the people of Edinburgh enthusiastically enjoyed the festive dragon and lion dances, graceful Taichi movements, and lively Scottish folk dances.

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此次音乐会的曲目由爱丁堡爱乐乐团演奏。这是一家成立于1963年的业余交响乐团，旨在为业余音乐家提供高水平演奏交响乐曲目的机会。乐团的首场演出是为著名慈善机构Oxfam举行的音乐会。此次音乐会，乐团的艺术家们为大家带来了一首首优美的乐曲，让观者回味无穷。

担任音乐会指挥的是Gerard Doherty, 他曾在苏格兰皇家音乐学院学习，除了在爱丁堡爱乐乐团和格拉斯哥Sinfonia 乐团担任首席指挥，他也在苏格兰其他乐团担任客座指挥，以其对跨越年代的交响乐曲目清晰的理解和出色的才华而备受赞誉。

The repertoire for this music concert was performed by the Edinburgh Symphony Orchestra. Founded in 1963, this amateur symphony orchestra aims to provide high-level performance opportunities for amateur musicians. The orchestra’s inaugural performance was held as a concert for the renowned charity organization Oxfam. During this music concert, the artists of the orchestra presented a series of beautiful melodies, leaving the audience with delightful memories.

The conductor for the concert was Gerard Doherty. Having studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, he not only serves as the principal conductor for the Edinburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Glasgow Sinfonia Orchestra, but also guest conducts for various other Scottish ensembles. His exceptional understanding of symphonic repertoire spanning different eras and remarkable talent have earned him acclaim.

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本次音乐会节精彩纷呈，高潮迭起，现场观众一次次被才华横溢的各国、各年龄段的艺术家们所打动，纷纷献上热烈的掌声。

开场的《春节序曲》和《蓝色多瑙河》，就将观众带入了春天的明媚和多瑙河的诗意。来自苏格兰国家歌剧院的男高音歌唱家任胜之为观众献上了《你是我心中的一切》和《举杯吧，朋友》两首歌曲，高昂浑厚的歌声让观众再次掌声雷动。

The music concert was a dazzling affair, with successive climaxes that left the live audience deeply moved by the talented artists from various countries and age groups, who received enthusiastic applause time and again.

The opening pieces, “Spring Festival Overture” and “Blue Danube,” transported the audience to the vibrant beauty of spring and the poetic essence of the Danube River. The Scottish National Opera’s male tenor, Shengzhi Ren, delivered two songs: “You Are Everything in My Heart” and “Let’s Raise Our Glasses, Friends.” His powerful and resonant vocals once again elicited thunderous applause from the audience.

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（图片来源：Hon Yau）

12岁的叶茗萌小朋友的管风琴演奏使音乐会进入了第一个高潮，这位曾参加过苏格兰国家青年管弦乐团、也在爱丁堡汉语教育中心学习中文的女孩，弹奏了《亨德尔管风琴协奏曲》，悠扬庄重的琴声回荡在亚瑟厅里，她也在观众热情回应下多次谢幕。

The 12-year-old young musician, Becca Ye, took the organ performance to its first crescendo during the music concert. This talented girl, who has previously been part of the Scottish National Youth Orchestra and is also studying Chinese at the Edinburgh Chinese Education Centre (ECEC), played Handel’s Organ Concerto. Her melodious and dignified organ notes resonated through the Usher Hall, and she graciously acknowledged the enthusiastic applause from the audience multiple times.

（图片来源：Hon Yau）

高登舞蹈学校在中国新年音乐会上多次表演过，这家成立于1963年的舞蹈学校曾参加过中国的国际艺术节，也在多个国家巡回演出过。她们表演的苏格兰舞《The Kilt is Our Delight》，苏格兰特色方格的服饰，天真可爱的孩童，欢快轻盈的动作，悠扬壮丽的苏格兰风笛，掀起了音乐会第二次高潮。

The Golden School of Dancing, which was established in 1963, has graced the stage of the Chinese New Year Concert in Edinburgh on multiple occasions. This dance school, having previously participated in international arts festivals in China and embarked on tours across various countries, showcased the lively and delightful Scottish dance “The Kilt is Our Delight.” The performance featured the distinctive plaid attire, charming children, spirited and graceful movements, and the majestic sound of Scottish bagpipes, igniting the second climax of the music concert.

（图片来源：Hon Yau）

来自美国的著名京剧表演艺术家虞晓梅女士与爱丁堡爱乐乐团合作表演了京剧《霸王别姬》。这是一次中西方艺术的跨界融合，通常京剧音乐很难以交响乐形式来诠释，在此次音乐会上，虞女士柔美而不失华丽的唱腔和爱丁堡爱乐乐团恢宏而不失古典特色的交响乐，中西合璧交相辉映，将音乐会推向了又一个高潮。虞女士也向观众们介绍了身上精美的行头服饰，如头上戴的如意冠、肩膀披的云肩，身上挂的鱼鳞甲，披的刺绣花卉披风，在将京剧艺术的魅力传达给观众的同时，也展示了中国传统服饰的精致与华美。

From the United States, the renowned Peking Opera performer Ms. Xiaomei Yu, collaborated with the Edinburgh Symphony Orchestra to present the Peking Opera classic, “Farewell My Concubine”. This performance marked a fascinating fusion of Eastern and Western arts. Typically, Peking Opera music is challenging to interpret in symphonic form. However, during this music concert, Ms. Yu’s graceful yet opulent vocal style harmonised seamlessly with the orchestra’s grand and classical symphony. The result was a harmonious blend that elevated the concert to yet another climax. As she conveyed the allure of Peking Opera to the audience, Ms. Yu also showcased exquisite traditional Chinese attire, including the auspicious crown on her head, the cloud-like shoulder drapes, the dragon-scale armor hanging from her body, and the embroidered floral cloak draped over her shoulders. Through this performance, the concert not only celebrated the artistry of Peking Opera but also highlighted the elegance and beauty of Chinese traditional clothing.

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最受小朋友喜欢的大概就是中国的国宝动物大熊猫了，这次音乐会上舞剧《大熊猫》以新颖的形式表达了生命与自然、与天地万物的精神纽带。值得一提的是，领舞的舞蹈家刘天一就是在今年央视春晚节目开场舞《鼓舞龙腾》节目领舞之一，他在央视拍摄结束后直飞爱丁堡参加此次演出。艺术家们的表演身姿舒展意广，以形似和传神为主，表达了中华民族的浪漫情思和对大爱的传递。一曲舞罢，演员们将主办方的熊猫玩具礼物抛向台下，大家纷纷踊跃回应，整个会场喜气洋洋充满了欢乐。

Perhaps the most beloved creature among children is China’s national treasure, the giant panda. In this music concert, the dance drama “Giant Panda” creatively expressed the spiritual connection between life, nature, and all things in the universe. Notably, the lead dancer, Tianyi Liu, who was also one of the lead dancers in this year’s CCTV Spring Festival Gala opening performance “Inspiring the Soaring Dragon,” flew directly from CCTV to Edinburgh to participate in this show. The artists’ performances were graceful, expressive, and evocative, capturing the romantic sentiments of the Chinese nation and conveying a message of compassion. As the dance concluded, the actors playfully tossed panda plush toys provided by the organisers into the audience, and the entire venue buzzed with joy.

（图片来源：Hon Yau）

音乐会在经典名曲《拉德斯基进行曲》和苏格兰传统民族歌曲《友谊地久天长》的美妙旋律中圆满结束，参演的全部艺术家演员齐聚台上放声高歌，表达了希望中英友谊、中苏友谊代代相传、地久天长的美好心愿。

The music concert concluded splendidly with the enchanting melodies of the classic piece “Radetzky March” and the traditional Scottish folk song “Auld Lang Syne.” All the participating artists and actors gathered on stage, raising their voices in song. Their performance conveyed the heartfelt wish for enduring friendship between China and the UK, as well as the timeless legacy of Chinese-Scottish friendship.

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（图片来源：Hon Yau）

 

特别鸣谢

2024年爱丁堡新年中国新年音乐会得到爱丁堡市政府、中国驻爱丁堡总领事馆、中国银行（英国）有限公司、中国驻伦敦旅游办事处、爱丁堡旅游局、英国中华总商会、苏格兰旅游局、海南航空、科大讯飞股份有限公司、我会中文、苏格兰中国教育网络、红石电力有限公司等大力支持。

Special thanks to the City of Edinburgh Council, Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China Edinburgh, Bank of China (UK) Limited, China National Tourist Office London, Edinburgh Tourism Action Group, UK Chinese Business Association, Visit Scotland, Hainan Airlines Corporation Limited, iFLYTEK Corporation Limited, Wo Hui Mandarin, Scottish China Education Network, and Red Rock Power Limited for their generous support of the 2024 Edinburgh Chinese New Year Concert. 🎶

文字 | 刘冶

编辑 | 萧萧

图片 | patchaism (Maciek Uszacki), Hon Yau

Text | Ye Liu

Editing | Xiaoxiao

Photos | patchaism (Maciek Uszacki), Hon Yau