The tenth anniversary Chinese Whispers Concert brought together distinguished university leaders, guests from Manchester, school pupils, university performers, and community choirs for an evening celebrating Chinese language, music, and intercultural exchange at Middleton Hall, University of Hull, on 22 April.
Among the special guests attending the concert were senior leaders from the University of Hull, including Vice-Chancellor Professor Kevin Kerrigan and Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor John Craig, alongside delegations from Manchester and representatives connected with Chinese educational and cultural partnerships. Their presence reflected the growing recognition of the Chinese Whispers Project as an innovative model of intercultural education and public engagement through the arts.
Organised annually by the Confucius Institute and the Music Department within the Faculty of Arts, Social Sciences and Education at the University of Hull, the Chinese Whispers Concert has become a distinctive intercultural initiative that combines Mandarin language learning with creative musical practice. Over the past decade, the project has developed innovative approaches to teaching Chinese language and culture through singing, performance, and collaborative arts participation.
This year’s anniversary concert featured a rich and varied programme of Chinese instrumental music, choir performances, folk dance, and intercultural ensemble collaborations involving local primary schools, university students, community musicians, and guest performers.
The evening opened with a Chinese instrumental medley featuring Hedwig’s Theme and Yun Gong Xun Yin, creating an atmospheric introduction to the concert. Nafferton Primary School Choir then performed Song and Smile and Searching for Plum Blossoms in the Snow, demonstrating pupils’ growing confidence in Mandarin pronunciation, musical expression, and intercultural performance.
The University Student Choir followed with High as the Mountains and Pearls and Jade, highlighting collaborative music-making between international and local students at the University of Hull. Audiences also enjoyed a lively performance of the Joyful Yangge Dance, celebrating the energy and colour of traditional Chinese folk culture through movement and music.
Christopher Pickering Primary School Choir presented Spring Dawn and Paper Aeroplane, while an erhu and accordion ensemble performance of Horse Racing combined Chinese and Western instrumental traditions in an energetic intercultural fusion.
Tickton Primary School Choir contributed two audience favourites, If You’re Happy and You Know It and Your Smile Is Beautiful, before the Chinese classical dance performance Tang Impression offered a visually expressive interpretation of Chinese aesthetics and historical culture.
The second half of the concert featured performances by Howden School Choir, including Run and Slow Slow Tune, followed by Hull Male Voice Choir performing Farewell and I Am a Small Part of the World. The evening concluded with all participating choirs joining together for a mass performance of the well-known Chinese folk song Jasmine Flower, creating a powerful finale that reflected the collaborative and intercultural spirit of the project.
Now in its tenth year, the Chinese Whispers Project continues to demonstrate how creative arts practices can support language learning, intercultural understanding, and community engagement. By bringing together schools, universities, musicians, and local communities, the project offers an innovative educational model in which Mandarin Chinese is experienced not only as a language to study, but also as a shared cultural and musical experience.
