http://au.news.yahoo.com/040417/2/olif.html
Saturday April 17, 11:26 AM
China cancels Christian-themed concert
Authorities have forced a leading Chinese chorus to cancel a concert on
Saturday of Christian-themed music in Beijing, its conductor said, amid
official unease about the growing appeal of Christianity in China.
The Ministry of Culture ordered the chorus of the China National Orchestra
to withdraw from the concert, conductor Su Wenxing said Friday. Su said
orchestra managers refused to tell him the reason given by the ministry.
China's Communist government, although officially atheist, allows worship in
government-monitored churches. Public religious and cultural activities
require government permits.
The concert on Saturday at the Zhongshan Music Hall in central Beijing was
to include "Easter Chorus," written by a Chinese-born Canadian and based on
Bible stories, according to Su.
Su, a Christian, is a conductor for another Chinese orchestra and was
working with the Beijing chorus only for this concert.
"I was told by the head of the chorus of the China National Orchestra last
night that they could not perform, as ordered by the Ministry of Culture,"
Su said. "I have asked for a letter explaining the reason the concert was
canceled. But they refused."
Phone calls to the ministry during working hours Friday weren't answered. A
woman who answered the phone at the Zhongshan Concert Hall said the concert
was canceled.
Millions of Chinese have turned to Christianity in recent years in a search
for spiritual meaning amid economic and social upheaval. But some officials
are believed to be uneasy about allowing believers to publicly promote a
religion that they worry might erode Communist control and possibly spread
foreign influence in China.
Authorities are struggling to control underground Christian churches, whose
popularity is surging.
This country of 1.3 billion people has 14 million believers in its official
Protestant and Catholic churches. But religious scholars abroad say there
also are as many 60 million Christians in underground churches.
Clergy and members of underground churches are often harassed or detained by
police.
The composer of "Easter Chorus," Huang Anlun, expressed surprise at the
cancellation.
"I don't understand why they would cancel the concert," he said. "It doesn't
involve any political issues."
Su works for the Hebei Orchestra in Hebei, the populous province that
surrounds Beijing. He converted to Christianity in 1996.
Su led Handel's "Messiah" last year in the cities of Guangzhou in China's
south and Qingdao in the east. He said both concerts were first canceled by
local officials and then reinstated.
Despite the withdrawal of the chorus, Su said he asked the musicians to show
up anyway and possibly perform outside the concert hall.
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