Eastern Promise, April 2007

In April 2007, the National Saxophone Choir of Great Britain embarked on a two-week tour of the Far East, stopping in Hong Kong, Macau, Shanghai and Beijing. Twenty-one saxophonists and a percussionist lead by inspirational conductor Richard Ingham, gave 10 concerts in 14 days, propelling the choir to a whole new standard of performance, which exceeded even their own expectations.

The long flight saw only a few minor saxophone injuries and a bit of jetlag (instantly rectified by the wonderfully helpful Chinese hosts and take-away pizza), and the NSC's Far East tour started with a bang at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts. Here the choir set the benchmark for the tour, performing with great energy and professionalism in a concert that included HKAPA students and soloist Jennifer To in Under the Veil. Players left the building signing countless CDs and programmes, and being papped by numerous photographers.

That evening, members of the choir developed relations by duetting with locals on Bee Gees songs in the culturally-enriching Karaoke bar near the hostel before catching the ferry to Macau the next morning for a rehearsal and concert in the Macau Polytechnic Institute. Overwhelmed again by the friendliness and hospitality in Macau, the choir were greeted by a giant saxophone balloon and an NSC banner, plus a camera crew who dutifully recorded the concert. After another wholly successful concert, the choir members were practically mobbed, before being whisked away to the Ritz Hotel! The choir were invited to a banquet dinner consisting of various Chinese delicacies while a video of the concert ran on a large screen. The Ritz was a welcome luxury, and many members rather fancied another night – however the NSC tour bus wasn't stopping for anyone, and the choir was due back in Hong Kong for our final concert before moving to Shanghai.

The final concert in Hong Kong saw the choir perform to a full house with soloist Kevin Ling, and the students of the Hong Kong Music Office. The concert was a fantastic end to our time in Hong Kong, and we left Kevin promising to set up a Hong Kong sax choir, with the result to be seen at the World Saxophone Congress in Thailand 2009!

Next stop Shanghai! And after a day off we were ready to go again, with a full day of workshops, demonstrations and an evening concert at the Dulwich College International School, co-ordinated by ex-choir member, Rachael Willis. Giving workshops to all sections of the school from tots to teens was a new challenge for the choir, but great fun, and the atmosphere around the school was buzzing in time for our evening concert in the new concert hall. Again we had a full house and took the crowd by storm, selling out of CDs and receiving fan mail from the children!

Other venues we played in Shanghai included 'JZ', a jazz club, where we invited local saxophonists to rehearse and then perform with us, and glamour bar 'M on the Bund' where we surprised drinkers by appearing from behind pink screens and treating them to a short set of music accompanied by some impromptu dancing.

After a twelve-hour train journey, we made it to the final leg of the tour in Beijing, where we performed in the stunning Beijing Concert Hall, courtesy of one of our sponsors China Bluestar. The concert was a fantastic way to end the tour, and China Bluestar were the perfect hosts, presenting us with goodie bags, flowers and a wonderful DVD of the concert. There was just time for a day-trip to the Great Wall of China, before the choir members returned home for a well-earned rest!

The tour was a huge success and the NSC would like to thank everyone who helped make the tour such a success, in particular Trinity Guildhall Examinations, and China Bluestar for their sponsorship. The phenomenal success of the tour will act as an encouragement for even more ambitious projects in the future, and is only the first step in the choir’s long-haul tour of the world - a fitting tribute to all of the choir members who worked so hard, and played so well throughout the fortnight.

So! Where to next then guys?

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