Following a chain of recital gigs in Beijing, Warner Music China will present a concert featuring most of its contracted singers at the Beijing Workers' Stadium, the hottest pop concert venue of the capital, tomorrow evening.

However, the meaning of this concert is far beyond that of being just a pop concert.

The goal of the show is to raise funds to establish the charitable "Soong Ching Ling Music Fund."

Co-organized by Soong Ching Ling Foundation and Beijing Time New Century Entertainment Co Ltd, the theme of the concert is "boundless music and forever love."

"We are investing 4.5 million yuan (US$543,000) to produce the concert, and hope to raise more funds so as to contribute to our efforts to help poor children who are receiving musical education through the Soong Ching Ling Foundation," says Warner Music China General Manager Zhou Jianhui.

Adopting Soong Ching Ling's philosophy of education, the Foundation has devoted to work "with the children and for the children" since its founding in 1982.

It has held numerous charity activities ranging from art shows, music, literature, science and sports events, such as the Soong Ching Ling Children Literature Award, Children's Innovation Award, Football Training Camps for children under 13 and other events, to raise public concerns over children growing up in a healthy environment.

"We would like to cooperate with Warner Music China to establish the funds with which we hope to help the children from poverty-stricken areas receive better musical education," said Soong Ching Ling Foundation Secretary General Li Ning.

According to Li, the funds will be mainly used to train music teachers, discover and develop children with musical gifts, and encourage the writing of songs for children and promoting general musical education in China.

"Music is an influential element in education generally," Li said. "However, musical education in the remote impoverished regions is underdeveloped. They are badly understaffed for music teachers and most of the children there have not had a real music class."

In addition, some gifted children could not receive professional training because of money shortages.

It also results in problems. Some children's arts group could not tour around the country or the world to open their eyes, few musicians would like to write songs for children.

"It's a big project which needs great social support. The fund-raising concert is just the first step," Li sums up.

Meanwhile, all the singers performing in the concert have shown a special interest in the charity event.

"I expect to sing at the concert, which is very different from any commercial show I have attended before," says Zhou Xun, the popular actress and Warner's newest singer. "I hope I can contribute a little effort to help these children who love music, and to realize their dreams. I believe all of us will feel happy and excited to sing for them."

Warner Music China is the first record company to cast most of its best-selling singers in a concert on the Chinese mainland. As one of the leading companies of its kind in the country, Warner Music China is devoted to promoting Chinese pop music both in the home market and the international pop scene, since it entered China by purchasing the Taiwan UFO Record Company in 1992.

(China Daily October 23, 2003)