Melodies inspired by children

Pianist and composer Kong Xiangdong on Wednesday unveiled The Greeting of the Seasons, a song he made in collaboration with a chorus in the Shennongjia forestry district in Hubei province, to celebrate Children's Day. The song is created by Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi.

"The voice of children is the most divine sound in humankind," said the 53-year-old musician, who made the song from his home in Shanghai during the lockdown.

"These children do not have any music training and their beautiful singing brought tears to my eyes for the first time in the past two months. Today also marks the end of a two-month-long lockdown of Shanghai, and in the song I hear great relief and hopes for a new start."

The Greeting of the Seasons is but one of the many songs he made while confined to his home because of the COVID-19 outbreak. Another creation in which he performs with his six-year-old neighbor Angelika who lives in the same block was well-received after it was uploaded to the Wechat platform of the Shanghai People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

"Her mother showed me a video clip of the girl playing the Ballad of the Swallow and asked for my advice," Kong told China Daily. "I thought her playing was beautiful and impeccable, so I just added some accompaniment, and made a collaborative piece."

"When this is over, I want to invite children in the compound to put on a free concert for the neighbors. The past two months have brought back the old-time neighborhood experience, and I hope these close ties would go on for a long time."