THE Chinese Year of the Pig is on its way. To mark the Chinese New Year, the National Centre for Early Music, at St Margaret's Church, Walmgate, York, will be mounting a series of concerts and workshops for the family.
The activities will start at the end of this month as part of the Residents' First Weekend, when the London Jing Kun Opera Association will offer Chinese opera face painting for children and adults on January 27 from 2pm to 5pm.
Visitors to the NCEM can enjoy a taste of the exotic with Chinese clowns, cats, rabbits and more sophisticated colourful faces, and there will be the chance to have your name written in Chinese script and to sample Chinese nibbles and drinks.
The London Jing Kun Opera Association will present a Chinese Opera Spectacular, too, in a colourful programme of Jingju and Kunqu opera on January 27 at 7.30pm. The stories of love and sacrifice highlighted in the British premieres of Parting At The Kiln and The Assassination Of The Tiger will be brought out by the choreographed movements and touching arias, while ensemble music with traditional Chinese instruments will add to the variety.
During the Residents' First Weekend, from 2pm to 4pm on January 28, Chinese community artist Linda Tomlinson will lead Happy Bats, Pigs And Dragons, a Chinese craft workshop session where you can make Chinese paper dragons, celebratory Year of the Pig lanterns, New Year cards and Money Packets, the traditional New Year red envelope money presents given to Chinese children.
To celebrate Chinese New Year Day next month, the NCEM will welcome the Silk String Quartet on February 17 at 7.30pm, when the pipa (lute), erhu (fiddle), guzheng (zither) and yangqin (dulcimer) will be played by interpreters of traditional and contemporary Chinese music led by Cheng Yu, interspersed with dance interludes.
Melanie Paris, the NCEM marketing manager, says: "This programme of activities will appeal to all the family. We're particularly delighted to be welcoming back to the NCEM the London Jing Kun Opera Association and the extremely talented Silk String Quartet. We advise people to book in advance as our Chinese events always prove popular and many of them will sell out."
To book tickets, either contact the NCEM on 01904 658338 or book on line at www.ncem.co.uk
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