BCC singers become homestay guests in Vietnam

More than 60 members of the Boston Children’s Chorus (BCC) from the US participated in home stays with Vietnamese family hosts during their visit to the country, the first destination of their Southeast Asia tour.
“This year is the 10th anniversary for the BCC. We wanted to go to a special place for international travel, so we decided the South East Asia trip to Vietnam and Cambodia will be very special because of the amazing history,” said Ben Hires, BCC’s program director.
The chorus’s members said staying with local family hosts is a great way for them to explore Vietnamese culture. “We decided to choose homestay to connect to culture. That is kind of a cultural exchange. Our trip to Vietnam is incredible,” 17-year-old Lydia Guterman, a BCC member, told Tuoi Tre.
“It’s amazing and here is so different from the US in such a good way. This place is a beautiful place and everyone is so friendly. I’m having a really fun time,” said Nora Telford, another BCC member. Nearby, Ateha Bailly, 16, shared his feelings about his first trip to Vietnam: “It’s a very beautiful place. This is a lifetime experience, something I may never again get to do.”
Artist Nguyen Huu Thi Nga, also known as Tina Nguyen, owner of the Faifoo Boutique in Binh Thanh District, took care of five BCC members at her residential house to exchange culture and introduce them to typical Vietnamese traditional instruments like dan tranh (16-chord zither) and dan bau (monochord).
“We are very much inspired by Vietnamese traditional musical instruments [dan tranh and dan bau]. The sound is very beautiful. It’s incredible,” they said.
The BCC singers also enjoyed sightseeing around HCMC and visited some historical sites and museums during their stay in the city.
To repay the hosts for their warm welcome, the BCC singers performed a Vietnamese folk song titled “Qua cau gio bay” during their free concert at the HCMC Opera House on June 26, which drew loud applause from the audience.
“All of us like to learn some Vietnamese, and some Vietnamese people in Boston came to help. It is hard at first because it has six different sounds for every vowel. So we have to practice it every second we have to learn the song,” a BCC member said.
The chorus also entertained the audience with other famous choral pieces like ‘We Sing’, ‘Africa’, ‘Dreams’ and ‘Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Round’.
“We’re hoping to not only bring music to Vietnam but also to bring culture back to the US,” said BCC Artistic Director Anthony Trecek-King.
Dam Duc Anh, a representative of Tran Nhan Tong Academy, based in Hanoi, which is the main sponsor of the BCC’s trip, said: “The Boston Children’s Chorus is known as the ambassador of harmony. They harness the power and joy of music to unite our city's diverse communities and inspire social change. So we invited them to Vietnam to convey the humane message of music as well as to know more about the land and people here.”
The BCC, a multi-racial, multi-ethnic arts education organization that unites Boston area children from ages 7-18 from different races, religions and economic levels, presents 50 performances per season in a wide range of public and private events across the city of Boston and around the world.