Asia 2000 Tour: Calvin College Alumni Choir Tour Diary
Text by Darlene Kortenhoeven Meyering '69
Photos by Susan Lemmen Byker '71

The Calvin College Alumni Choir culminated its 1999-2000 season with a concert tour to five Asian countries—Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and Taiwan. Planned over a 22-month period, the tour was made possible by the professional and personal contacts of Dr. Pearl Shangkuan and with the tremendous help of CRC missionaries and staff and Calvin alumni and friends living in Asia.

To embody the meaning and purpose of this tour, the choir commissioned composer and choir member Roy Hopp and noted hymn text writer Herman Steumpfle, Jr. to create "Many Colors Paint the Rainbow," the theme song of the tour.

The choir gave 19 performances in as many days, singing in packed concert halls, high schools and churches.

JAPAN (Click to see images from Japan)
July 28—August 1

Arrived in Tokyo after 20 hours of travel. Settled in at the Hotel Grand Palace Tokyo after a two-hour bus ride through Tokyo traffic. Met by Rev. Larry Spalink of CRC World Missions who checked us in with his fluent Japanese! Two nights in a lovely, comfy hotel—hurray!

Explored Tokyo. Eighteen of us took a 5 a.m. foray to the Skiji Fish Market. Gorgeous picture material and squid or eel for breakfast. Yum! Wonderful sights all day. Tonight met with Dirk Pruis—he flew in for the weekend. Dirk and Larry were a Godsend in all our planning.

Whew! A subway ride dragging our luggage in 90 degree heat makes for an invigorating morning! Led the worship service at the Tokyo Union Church for packed church. After church Roy Hopp, Emily Brink and Randy Van Wingerden led a choral workshop for 40 people while we walked the beautiful Omotosande Road before lunch.

Evening concert at Amway Japan Ltd. A beautiful facility with all orchestrated to the minute and lots of protocol. The concert went great, especially our arrangement of a favorite Japanese folk song, "Hamabe uta." A lovely party followed where we visited with Amway staff, guests and some alumni and Calvin parents. Larry Spalink then matched us with families from the Reformed Church of Japan where we experienced the hospitality and warmth of these Japanese brothers and sisters for the next two days.

Traveled with our hosts to Kawaguchiko near Mt. Fuji—a lovely and majestic site! Housed in large rooms with tatami mats. Large closets held futons and kimonos for our use with 6-8 women or men to a room. Led a 4 p.m. worship service for over 200 Japanese Christians. Larry Spalink preached in Japanese using our theme song, Many Colors Paint the Rainbow to focus on unity in Christ. We sang "Holy, Holy, Holy," alternating the first four stanzas in Japanese and English with the last stanza in both languages and descant—a foretaste of heaven.

In the dining room the 200 Japanese were seated at low tables while Western tables and chairs were set for us! An authentic Japanese meal (sushi, rice, tofu, etc.) with chopsticks. Had to watch our Japanese friends to see how to eat each item "correctly!" An evening concert for our precious Reformed brothers and sisters ended this amazing first leg.

MALAYSIA (Click to see images from Malaysia)
August 2 & 3

Travel to Jahor Bahru (J.B.) via the Singapore Airport. Arrived at The Tropical Inn tired from a full day of travel, astonished to see a huge "Welcome Calvin College Alumni Choir" sign on the hotel doorway with smiling strangers lining the steps! The welcoming committee was the Nanyang University Alumni Choir, our first "friendship choir." A full Asian feast and the fun of trying to communicate endeared us to these singers, mostly Buddhist or Muslim.

Our host, Mr. Ooi Yong Hee, arranged sight seeing in JB. Evening concert at the Foon Yew School (the largest Chinese School in Malaysia). The stage was decorated in Calvin colors with "Many Colors Paint the Rainbow," and large signs graced the school’s entrances near the huge statue of Confucius! Nine hundred people—over 300 of them Chinese students—attended. Overwhelming! The concert began after 25 minute’s of speeches by "honorable guests" in Chinese! At intermission CDs sold quickly. Students quickly unwrapped them and ran up to us to autograph the inserts. Young girls surrounded our choir men—they looked like rock stars!

Nanyang Alumni Choir began the final section with four folksongs and then we sang three Asian folksongs. When the Nanyang choir joined in on "Many Colors Paint the Rainbow" we realized the significance of our trip as Buddhists, Muslims and Christians sang "Free our hearts from hate and discord till our lives in concert blend. Alleluia! Alleluia! be our anthem without end."

SINGAPORE
August 4 & 5

Traveled by bus to Singapore for a day exploring the shops and ethnic communities in this beautiful city. Stayed a large YMCA—comfy and modern! Tonight—sing in the 150-year-old St. Andrew’s Cathedral with a Chinese and English Friendship Choir. Terrific people again.

Nine hundred again at St. Andrew’s! In this majestic cathedral in the tropics with fans lazily turning overhead, we’re amazed at the blessings experienced in one week. Our Singapore hosts, Dr. Samuel Cheung and Mr. Kay Sum are new friends we will cherish and hope to see again.

Arrived in Manila and were greeted by Pearl’s mother, sister and niece. Bussed through the Manila traffic to The Bay View Hotel across from the American Embassy on Manila Bay—our home for five nights. Time to settle in and do some wash!

A really busy Sunday! Sang in a worship service at the Union Church of Manila (English) and fellowship with their choir, then on to another service at the United Evangelical Church of the Philippines (Chinese). Arrived in time to sing in the communion service. Taking communion was quite moving. As the pastor said "this is the body of Christ broken for you" the congregation cracked the wafers—an unforgettable sound.

Manila concert at the Philamlife Auditorium for 750. Rehearsed with the friendship choir—our most highly trained and musically sophisticated one. Joel Navarro, a local conductor partnered with Pearl and prepared the Friendship Choir. The choir wore native Filipino dress that added many colors to our rainbow. Presented gifts to Pearl’s family whom so generously sponsored us. "Many Colors" was "signed" by hearing-impaired children from a Christian school for the deaf founded by Pearl’s late father. The days just keep getting better.

Toured sites in Manila today and then enjoyed a huge banquet hosted by Pearl’s family—a roasted calf on a spit and ten Chinese dishes! Then we served as a demonstration choir for Pearl in a conducting workshop. Roy Hopp and Emily Brink led other workshops too.

Tuesday: Our busiest day. Sang for music students at the University of the Philippines. Then went to the Asian Institute for Liturgy and Music where we enjoyed an exchange with talented students from several Asian countries performing on native instruments and singing worship songs in their own languages and cultural idioms. We were transfixed!

On to Grace Christian School—a large Chinese school—to sing a chapel service for 400 high schoolers. The sanctuary was hot and fans were going at full blast—our toughest audience yet!

A brief foray to the Chinese Cemetery—a "city for the dead" with two story mausoleums individually designed like homes—some even have yards, pets and caretakers! Fascinating! Then, back to the United Evangelical Church for another evening of choral, composition, and worship workshops. What a Calvinist work ethic!

Wednesday: We drove to Cainta Rizal for a chapel service at Faith Academy. This boarding school for missionary children is a terrific, Calvin-friendly school. We loved it.

Great! Time for a shopping stop at a large Filipino Handicraft Market. We helped the Manila economy today! We boarded the bus again with bags full.

Dinner tonight hosted at the home of Col. & Mrs. Gudani (Philippine Marine Corp) who are members of Bread from Heaven Christian Fellowship—a CRC congregation. Wonderful fellowship and then an evening concert at Bread from Heaven—our only concert in a CRC in Asia. What a joy to be with these sisters and brothers in the faith.

TAIWAN (Click to see images from Taiwan)
August 10-13

Travel day to Taipei, Taiwan. Mr. Dick Wang of ORTV (Overseas Radio and Television) met us at the hotel to help with check in—another gift! No one at the desk spoke English! We gratefully head for bed.

CRCWM missionary Mark Knoper was at the hotel by 7 a.m. to greet us. Mark worked closely with ORTV staff to plan our three days in Taiwan. Another saint!

A wonderful day of sightseeing and a lunch at the posh American Club hosted by ORTV. What gracious people have been put before us at each venue. Our hearts overflow with gratitude. End the day at the Chinese Handicraft Market—three floors of fabulous shopping!

A free morning and needed rest with an institutional Chinese lunch at the hotel—we are all really good at using chopsticks now! On to Grace Baptist Church to present a choral workshop for over 200. Pearl used us as a demo choir with an English-to-Chinese translator—a fascinating experience. Hurray! More time for shopping in the interesting alleys around the church before our concert tonight. We need larger suitcases now!

Concert at Grace Baptist—one of our best. Wonderful acoustics with a receptive and musically sensitive audience. They loved our Chinese folksong. We presented gifts to Simon Hung and the ORTV staff as well as to the Chinese Church Music Association—another amazing day.

Last day: Led the worship service at the Taipei International Church. Rev. Mike Osment and church members hosted us in a potluck dinner.

Then a quick trip to the hotel to pack for our departure and final concert. On to the Minsheng Community Hall—a large hall controlled by the government. Mark Knoper and a small Reformed (Er Cun Church) congregation worked and prayed for this event. Not only did the government allow us to perform (the first non-Taiwanese group in 40 years!) they also "sponsored" us. With the help of church members, government funds and "in kind" support, they covered hall rental, printed Chinese programs, placed ads in the community, and allowed the church to host a tea afterwards so the guests and choir could "speak English" together.

Drove to the Navy Restaurant to host our Taipei friends in a celebration banquet. Leaders of the Chinese Church Music Association, Grace Baptist Church staff, Er Cun Church, Mark and Ruth Knoper and ORTV staff celebrated, ate and praised God for many wonderful blessings.

Off to the airport for 23 hours of travel. Arrived home at 10:30 a.m. Monday, August 14, to be greeted by a huge contingent of welcoming friends and family—a joyful reunion for all. Our hearts are full to overflowing!