Christmas Beautiful Harmony~~~

[Seoul District News] Yeongdeungpo Senior Center Concert on 16th · Boys and Girls Choir Regular Concert on 21st Featuring Trot and Jingle Bell Medley, Musical Choir and More to Bring Love and Comfort to Residents ... Seodaemun District to Host 2022 Winter Season Concert 'Mirimerry Christmas IN Seodaemun' for Residents at Yonsei University Centennial Hall on 22nd at 7 PM ... Dongdaemun District to Hold Year-End Regular Concerts by Public Art Groups with Four Performances Scheduled in December ... Jung District, Korea University Professor Han Chang-su on Managing Lethargy

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Yeongdeungpo-gu (District Mayor Choi Ho-kwon) announced that its representative public art groups, the ‘Yeongdeungpo-gu Senior Choir’ and the ‘Yeongdeungpo-gu Children’s Choir,’ will hold regular concerts at Yeongdeungpo Art Hall ahead of Christmas.

In this regular concert held to celebrate Christmas, the Yeongdeungpo-gu Choir will showcase the beautiful harmonies they have honed over time, along with diverse collaborations, providing residents with various cultural and artistic opportunities.

The ‘Yeongdeungpo-gu Senior Choir’ will hold its 8th regular concert on the 16th at 7:30 PM at Yeongdeungpo Art Hall. The senior choir consists of 40 female residents aged 55 to 75 who seek joy and vitality in the golden years of life through choral singing. Since its official founding in 2014, the choir has performed at various events such as the Yeouido Spring Flower Festival and the Dano Festival, earning much praise.

Notably, despite the activity restrictions during the past three years due to COVID-19, the choir has consistently maintained non-face-to-face and small group rehearsals. As a result, in June this year, they won the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award at the 9th National Golden Age (Senior) Choir Competition hosted by the National Choir, proving that their skills remain sharp.

This concert will proceed in three parts under the theme ‘Fragrance of Twilight,’ conducted by Park Jung-soo with accompaniment by Lee Min-jung. In Part 1, the senior choir will perform Korean choral pieces, followed by a special invited performance of opera arias by the Seoul Municipal Women’s Union Choir. Part 2 features the senior choir’s folk songs, followed by a special appearance by tenor Lee Sang-joo, who will perform movie OSTs and popular songs. Part 3 will excite the audience with a ‘Drama-Embraced Trot Medley,’ a skillful blend of choir, percussion, and acting by actors Kim Jin-cheol and Choi Yoon-jung.

Additionally, a performance by the ‘Yeongdeungpo-gu Children’s Choir,’ composed of 32 children and adolescents aged 7 to 14 with great interest and talent in singing, will also be held.

On the 21st at 7:30 PM, under the theme ‘Our Harmony,’ the children’s choir will hold its first regular concert since its founding in December 2019 at Yeongdeungpo Art Hall.

This performance will be conducted by Lee Hyun-ah with accompaniment by Lee Jung-ah and will consist of four parts. Part 1 features pure choral pieces, and Part 2 presents winter songs suitable for the Christmas season, including a Jingle Bells medley. In Part 3, the crossover pop-opera group Il Volare will perform famous movie OSTs and popular songs. The grand finale, Part 4, will showcase the children’s choir members performing a musical choir titled ‘Music Food,’ combining choral singing and musical acting.

Residents wishing to attend can enter free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis by visiting Yeongdeungpo Art Hall before the performance starts.

Choi Ho-kwon, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, said, “We expect this performance to offer diverse cultural experiences and a time of harmony to residents who have had limited access to choral performances due to COVID-19. We hope families and couples will enjoy the comforting harmonies from the senior choir and the lively musical choir from the children’s choir as the year ends.”

Seodaemun-gu (District Mayor Lee Seong-heon) will hold the 2022 winter season concert ‘Merry Christmas in Seodaemun’ on the 22nd at 7 PM at Yonsei University Centennial Hall for its residents.

The concert will feature harpist Kwak Jeong, the Harpiday Ensemble, soprano Park Sung-hee, flutist Lee So-young, and the crossover group Forestella, presenting a variety of music including ‘Moon River’ and a ‘Christmas Carol Medley.’

This free concert is open to Seodaemun-gu residents aged elementary school and above, with reservations accepted on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 10 AM on the 14th.

Those interested can make reservations online by referring to the announcements on the Seodaemun-gu website or by calling the Culture and Sports Department of Seodaemun-gu Office. Up to four tickets can be requested per person.

Lee Seong-heon, Mayor of Seodaemun-gu, said, “I hope this concert will bring joy and comfort to residents as we wrap up the year.”

Dongdaemun-gu (District Mayor Lee Pil-hyung) has prepared four cultural performances to bring joy and emotion to residents as the year ends.

Two public art groups and a total of four groups will each hold their regular concerts for the first time in three years. As these are the first regular concerts resumed after being suspended due to COVID-19, a variety of rich and diverse performances are prepared. The members, who have honed their skills, will showcase their musical talents to provide residents with a healing experience.

First, on the 17th at 7 PM, the 12th regular concert of the Dongdaemun-gu Youth Orchestra, titled ‘The Music Stories We Tell,’ will mark the start of the cultural performances. Held at the auditorium of the University of Seoul, this concert features a youth orchestra composed of elementary to high school students from the district performing works by Brahms, Haydn, Tchaikovsky, and more. Various collaborations including soprano, tenor, and trumpet solos will captivate the audience.

On the 22nd at 7:30 PM, the 6th regular concert of the Dongdaemun Yegreena Choir will be held at the UOS Art Hall in the University of Seoul Music Building. The Yegreena Choir, composed of senior women residing in Dongdaemun-gu, has prepared various choral pieces to comfort the difficult times endured during COVID-19.

Special appearances include the male four-member pop-opera group POMAS, known for their performances on JTBC’s Phantom Singer 2 and KBS’s Immortal Songs, showcasing not only musical skills but also diverse performances. Also featured is the female four-member gugak (traditional Korean music) group Namnyeoul, who have performed at the UN World Peace Day and KBS Open Concert, connecting Korea and the world through music.

The Dongdaemun-gu Children’s Choir, composed of local elementary and middle school students, will also perform. Their 3rd regular concert, ‘Together Again Happy Christmas,’ will be held on the 23rd at 7:30 PM at the UOS Art Hall in the University of Seoul Music Building.

Additionally, four special performances are prepared to warm the audience’s hearts during the cold winter, including tenor Gu Bon-jin’s rendition of ‘This Is the Moment’ from the musical Jekyll & Hyde and violinist Ryu Ri-na’s performance of ‘You Raise Me Up.’

Finally, the 4th regular concert of the Dongdaemun Fathers’ Choir will be held on the 29th at 7:30 PM at the UOS Art Hall. Composed of adult men residing in Dongdaemun-gu, the Fathers’ Choir contributes to spreading a culture of sharing by holding various performances for marginalized neighbors.

This concert will feature exciting choral pieces such as ‘Amor Fati’ and ‘Jjin-iya,’ along with special performances including gugak ensembles and soprano solos, marking the year’s end.

All performances are free of charge and open on a first-come, first-served basis without prior reservation. For detailed information about December cultural performances, residents can visit the Dongdaemun-gu Office website or contact the Dongdaemun-gu Culture and Tourism Department.

Lee Pil-hyung, Mayor of Dongdaemun-gu, said, “We aim to offer beautiful romance and memories through regular concerts as we close out the year in December. We ask for residents’ active interest and participation and will continue to strive to provide diverse cultural enjoyment opportunities.”

Jung-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Kim Gil-sung) will hold a ‘Healing Lecture by a Distinguished Expert for Jung-gu Residents’ Mental Health’ on the 22nd at 3 PM in the large auditorium on the 5th floor of Sindang Nuri Center, initiating mental care for residents.

This special healing lecture, planned for the year-end, invites an expert in mental health to give a talk on ‘How to Manage Apathy’ to empower residents who have been going through difficult times due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and various incidents.

The speaker is Professor Han Chang-soo from Korea University’s Department of Mental Health Medicine, a scholar and physician who has intensely researched mental and emotional issues for over 20 years and has healed tens of thousands of minds through mental health counseling.

This lecture is expected to provide clear solutions on healthy management methods to overcome depression and apathy.

Professor Han has appeared on numerous TV programs such as KBS1’s ‘Myunggyeonmanri,’ ‘Secrets of Life and Death,’ ‘Morning Yard,’ JTBC’s ‘Different Class,’ MBN’s ‘Dongchimi,’ and ‘Golden Egg,’ and is anticipated to offer practical advice with his unique witty speaking style.

The lecture is open to all Jung-gu residents, and interested participants can register by scanning the QR code on the promotional poster or by contacting the Lifelong Education Team of the Dongbu District Office until the day of the lecture.

Kim Gil-sung, Mayor of Jung-gu, said, “I hope many residents participate in this healing lecture to soothe their minds and fill themselves with happiness during this time of recovery. We will continue to spare no support to improve the health of Jung-gu residents.”