A simple but gentle rhythm and warm lyrics were close to the Olympic soul and Chinese heart, said singer Liu Huan, about the theme song he and British warbler Sarah Brightman presented at the Beijing Games' opening ceremony.

"The song (named "You and Me") was perfect for the opening ceremony," said Liu in an on-line interview at www.xinhuanet.com on Tuesday.

The lyrics talked about peace and understanding among the people worldwide, he said. "I think this is what the Olympics call for."

"Compared with a song of strong rhythm and emotion like some previous Olympic theme songs, I think a tender, delicate and sweet one is closer to the theme we want to express -- harmony," he said.

The song lasted around three minutes with only 12 brief lines of lyrics and single rhythms.

In response to criticism about a lack of a unique Chinese style, Liu said as the singer he was not in place to explain the song. "Personally I think the composer did not add much typical Chinese flavor because the Olympics is an event for all though it is held in China."

But as a musician he found something very Chinese in the song. Traditional Chinese music adopted a pentatonic scale, which was five notes per octave, unlike the seven notes in the Western musical system.

"This song was written on the pentatonic scale, which was much more stable than the seven-note Western scale. It developed in a very steady and mild way like a stream running deep under the silent surface. This was always what traditional musicians sought for," he said. "I would give a high score to this song."

A torch bearer for the Athens Olympics and the Beijing Games, a popular teacher of the history of Western music at a university in Beijing and a self-taught Chinese pop star, 45-year-old Liu was in the spotlight again for singing at the opening ceremony.

"They informed me quite late, on July 22," he said. "I had never thought I would be chosen to sing the song. I thought they had selected the singer long before."

His wife Lu Lu had told the Shanghai Morning Post that she was worried a bit about Liu singing on top of the 20-meter-high earth model as he was quite afraid of heights.

"I overcame it. I was at my best that night," Liu said.

He said he enjoyed singing with Sarah Brightman. "I am glad to work with a talented musician. She was professional and worked hard," he said.

(Xinhua News Agency August 12, 2008)