Press conference: Beijing Olympic sports exhibitions and victory ceremonies music

Related story: Music for medal ceremonies released

Date/Time: 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, August 5

Venue: Main Press Conference (MPC)

Sun Weide

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to today's press conference. Today's topic is awarding ceremony music and sports demonstration symbol music of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games of 2008. Our guests for today are : Zhao Dongming, director of BOCOG Culture Activities Department; Cui Ning, vice director of BOCOG Culture Activities Department; Jiang Hu, director of Award Ceremony & Sports Demonstration; Tan Dun, composer; Wang Hesheng, composer; Robert Henry Arthur Wells form Sweden, musician. Welcome to all of you.

First of all, I would like to invite Mr. Zhao Dongming to talk about the awarding ceremony music and sports demonstration symbol music of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games of 2008.

Zhao Dongming gives the introduction.

Zhao Dongming

Good morning, welcome to our press conference today. I would like to thank you for coming. I would like to introduce to you pieces of music that will be played during the 302 competitions of the Olympics and 472 competitions of the Paralympics Games, in total 774 award ceremonies. Theses pieces of music will also be played during the Games and competitions. At the same time, I'd like to brief you on the three demo composers and how they completed their work.

A few minutes ago, on behalf of BOCOG, I rewarded Mr. Tan Dun and Mr. Wang Hesheng certificates to thank them for their contribution. After our press conference, I will give the special award to Mr. Wells, our special guest from Sweden.

According to the request and requirements and usual practice, these music are composed of four parts, they are Admission Music, Award Ceremony Music, March-Out Music, Sports Demonstration Symbol Music of the Beijing Olympic Games and the Paralympics Games.

First of all, before the award ceremony starts, the symbol music will be played to signify that the world ceremony is about to begin. This part is the emblematic music. It's about 25 seconds. I would like to tell you that this work is very special. Why is it very special? Because Tan Dun has integrated the original sound of two-tone set-bells of Marquis Yi of Zeng State (Hubei Provincial Museum) and the sound of jade musical stone to produce magnificent musical effects which will fill the air and gather the best of various schools of thought and form a complete acoustic chorus. In this way, symbolist music is consistent with medal design philosophy of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. The music is a gentle blend of ancient and modern music and Chinese elements. It suits to the award ceremony.

Now I would like to invite you to listen to this very special particular melody. After the press conference, we will play the whole piece of music combined by synthesizing the symphony. Now we are going to listen to this 25-second symbolist music.

Now I would like to introduce the admission music. After the award ceremony starts, the admission music is played as the winning athletes return to the playing field. This music is composed by Wang Hesheng. The admission music takes advantage of orchestral music and instrumental arrangements and rising and falling rhythms will stir the soul of both spectators and athletes alike. It has very strong and clear rhythm and can creates a very cheerful atmosphere. It can lead you to the award part which is the medal presenting music. This music is played on the course of the award ceremony.

Award ceremony music is played in the course of award ceremony. Tan Dun has made a harmonious integration of sounds from serial bells and jade musical stones with sweet melody of Jasmine so as to create a grand, solemn and sacred atmosphere for the successful athletes. Compared with the music resounding in award ceremonies from previous Olympic Games, Tan's music has taken a unique style, which fully demonstrates the characteristics of Chinese culture.

At the end of each award ceremony, march-out music is played when athletes leave the field of play. March-out music for the Games, with Tan Dun as its composer, is a joyful tune with chimes as its lively rhythm. Tan has achieved organic unity of the epoch-marking meaning which is creditably an excellent work integrating music art and sports elements.

Tan Dun at the press conference.

Tan Dun conducted the recording of the music. It has been performed by the China Philharmonic Orchestra and Stone Orchestra. Whereas the Admission Music is composed by Wang Hesheng, and played by the Military Band of People's Liberation Army of China Orchestra. The China Liberation Army Orchestra attached high importance to this work. Today their leader is here with us.

As a composer of the Military Band of People's Liberation Army of China, Mr. Wang Hesheng is a National First-Class Composer and a member of Chinese Musicians Association. He places emphasis upon the close combination of national feature, mass movement and epoch-marking meaning.

Sports demonstration symbol music of the Beijing Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games is composed by Robert Wells and Tan Tun.

Sports demonstration refers to the specific way to unfurl sports events for spectators and television viewers, which involves broadcasters, commentators, music, live big-screens, points screen, various types of performances and the lighting to transform each competition venue into a demonstration form, which is similar to the stage.

Wang Hesheng at the press conference.

Sports demonstration is known as "the face and image of the Olympic Games" in Chinese Olympic Committee Technical Manual. Sports Demonstration Symbol Music will resound in all competition venues of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, such as publicity films on the big screens prior to the start of competition, when athletes enter, transit and leave the field of play. Sports Demonstration Symbol Music of the Beijing Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games features fresh and outstanding melody with powerful memory points which include international and Chinese national characteristics.

Robert Henry Arthur Wells from Sweden

The music played is around 45 seconds. The music will be played together with the march in and march out of the athletes. The demonstration music is of international and Chinese nationalistic. These demonstration music are composed by Mr. Tan Dun and Mr. Wells. His rhythm will serve as the basis for the music. Mr. Tan will also serve modification based on the style of the medal presenting ceremonies with some Chinese factors.

The special thing about this work is that Mr. Wells is very supporting and passionate about Beijing Olympic Games. Of course, he is also supported by the Swedish ambassador. The initial piece presented by Mr. Wells was submitted to BOCOG by the Minister Counselor of Swedish Embassy. The Minister Counselor also expresses the wish to the Beijing Olympic Games. After that, during the time of the year, Mr. Wells changed his music on many occasions and came to Beijing personally to study and improve his music, and work very well with Mr. Tan Dun, thus the result of the current music piece. And also, for the whole piece, we have Mr. Cai Dasheng and Wang Bing, who are now residing in Sweden. We should appreciate this great work and contribution. To meet the request of Mr. Robert, now I will play a video clip of showing the support to the Swedish people to the Beijing Olympics.

The video is played: showing the greeting from the Swedish people to the Chinese people for the Olympics.

The third part I would like to tell you is the solicitation campaign. The Solicitation & Selection Campaign of Award Ceremony Music and Sports Demonstration Symbol Music of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games of 2008 began January 21, 2007 and ended March 10, 2008.

As an important part of the 4th Solicitation & Selection Campaign of Olympic Songs, it attracted attention from musical composers both at home and internationally. On the basis of public participation, the Solicitation & Selection Campaign encouraged active contribution from the public.

Now at this stage, we have 21 pieces. In the evaluation appraisal of the award ceremonial music and also the demonstration music, we have appraisal channels composed of different parties including the chief of BOCOG and also the general public and professional musicians. We appreciate your presence and your attention for the music of the Olympic Games.

As I said, the admission music, award ceremony music and the march out music are all special because of the different intervals of the athletes coming in. This is also a requirement for the composers. In certain events, the athletes are very close to the podium. On some other venues, they are far from the venues. Sometimes the music will be cut for the transition. Because the rotation of the music, that is with many parts of the music.

Sun Weide

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