On the evening of April 27, Friends of Falun Gong successfully held a not-for-profit concert called "Wonderful Future" at the Berklee Performance Center to celebrate the spread of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance throughout the world, to thank all the friends who support Falun Gong for their kindness and help, to show the diversified Chinese culture to the audience, and Falun Gong practitioners' gracefulness and peacefulness.
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Soprano Solo: Flying and Spinning Falun |
Vocal performance: Brighter Day á |
Martial Arts Demonstration |
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Suona (Chinese Horn) Solo: The Kingdom of the Birds |
Flute and Cello Trio: Universal Salvation, Lotus Eulogy |
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Vocal Performance |
Chinese Dance: Ode to the Lotus Flower |
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The concert presented a varied and interesting program. The show was hosted by Michael Mahonen, a renowned actor. The concert started with a lion dance introduction by the Wahlum Kunfu Academy. The tiger in red and yellow jumped around amidst strong rhythms. After eating a toad demon, a yellow Falun Dafa Hao banner came out of the tiger's mouth, which won warm applause from the audience. Then the representatives of Friends of Falun Gong gave the opening remarks:
"Chinese culture has a recorded history of about 5,000 years and is one of the richest in the world. Some of the finest arts have come from the East. Falun Gong is an ancient meditation practice based on nurturing the principles of Truth, Compassion, and Forbearance, and it remains a deep part of Chinese tradition. Its gentle nature reflects a part of human culture that people around the world are coming to rediscover. With this concert we are hoping to give a performance that truly reflects the tranquility and wonder that Chinese culture and Falun Gong have brought out in these performers. There will be a number of performances ranging from martial arts and music to dance and opera.
"Through this concert, we would like to give thanks to all the kind-hearted people who have supported us in our efforts to end the over two-year persecution of Falun Gong in China, and to all those who strive to live according to Truth, Compassion, and Forbearance at all times and under all circumstances to give us a wonderful future."
After the introduction, the performance formally started. During the performance, a representative of the Secretary of State of Massachusetts appeared and presented a proclamation to Falun Gong in honor of World Falun Dafa Day. The performances included a martial arts demonstration and vocal and instrumental performances. Miss Sara Effner's vocal performance of De Du in both Chinese and English brought people to tears. She was among the practitioners who went to Tiananmen Square to appeal for Falun Gong. Her singing of De Du (Be Saved) touched the hearts of the Chinese police. The concert concluded with the songs of Guan Guimin, who was honored as "China's Pavarotti." He sang O Sole Mio, That is Me and The Fa Rectifies Heaven and Earth.
The concert gave the audience an unforgettable evening.
Here is a song by Zoe Ackah:
Brighter Day
Lighting the way back home
Finding the truth inside
Sailing away as one
Leaving the story behind.
You don't have to keep on crying
There's a brighter day on the horizon.
You just have to keep on trying
'Cause a brighter sun is rising
