The audience of the ‘Voices of Great Love’ charity concerts were treated to the angelic voice of Israeli countertenor David D’Or. (Photo by Wong Twee Hee)
The two, beautifully named ‘Voices of Great Love’, were held at the University Cultural Centre of National University of Singapore. Combining vocal and visual aesthetic, the music and art feast attracted close to 3000 audiences to the matinee and evening show on 22 July.
The Art of the Present
Earlier this year in March, Mr Vittorio Amadio was in Los Angeles to attend a Tzu Chi concert jointly performed by Israeli countertenor David D’Or and Taiwanese singer Johnny Yin. Inspired by Tzu Chi’s worldwide charity commitment and deeply touched by the concert’s message on Great Love, the Italian painter, who has originally stopped painting, made a bold proposal to have a live performance with David and Johnny where he would paint to their singing on stage.
As an artist who strives to explore different artistic mediums throughout his life, Mr Amadio hopes that the vibrant colours of his painting will add a unique visual element to the music performance. Singapore was chosen as the trio’s first stop, where all proceeds, including two paintings to be drawn by Mr Amadio, would be donated to Tzu Chi Singapore to fund its charitable activities.
At 78 years old, Mr Amadio is still actively crafting art ceramics and sculptures almost daily. His artworks are now numbering at nearly 10,000, out of which 100 paintings had been donated to Tzu Chi Foundation earlier this year. After decades of living overseas, the artist now runs an art museum with his wife in his native hometown in Castel di Lama where it has become a focal point for many notables in the fields of art and literature, Italians as well as foreigners. He also founded the Cultural Association ‘La Sfinge Malaspina’ of Ascoli Piceno that promotes memorable and historic exhibits.
In his past paintings, Amadio has worked with lightning speed, convinced that his hand is faster than his mind. “For me a work of Art begins and ends in a moment, in a furious continuous stroke of the brush,” the official page of the painter quoted him saying. That explains why he dubbed his work “the art of the present” even though they may look impressionist or abstract at first glance. This was evident in his impromptu yet captivating painting during Johnny Yin’s rendition of two Tzu Chi songs during the matinee and evening performances.
Using just a blade trowel, Amadio freely fused warm acrylic colours of yellow, red and white onto the canvas to Johnny’s performance of ‘Guarding the Sunlight and You’ and the 9/11-inspired ‘Love Heals the World’.
Johnny, who is a triple winner of the Best Mandarin Singer (Male Category) at Taiwan’s Golden Melody Awards, is also a folk song icon in Taiwan and a host/producer with two art and musical programmes with Tzu Chi’s Da Ai TV. Since getting to know Tzu Chi 21 years ago, he has lent his radiant voice to numerous Tzu Chi songs and followed Tzu Chi volunteers to visit old folks’ home and participated in street fundraising for Tzu Chi. His short but lasting performance of four Tzu Chi songs during the concerts left the audience longing for more.
Music dissolves boundaries
Born and raised in war-torn Israel, internationally-acclaimed singer-composer David D’Or’s greatest dream is none other than world peace. He hopes that through his music, he can convey the message of love to eliminate war and hatred in the world. Tzu Chi’s founder Master Cheng Yen likens him to a soul healer, describing his angelic voice as a stream of crystal clear water that could bring life back to a withered flower and cure a melancholy soul.
Speaking on what inspires him to keep coming back to perform for Tzu Chi Singapore since 2007 and 2010, David said to the audience, “I have a very deep connection with Tzu Chi Foundation and with Master Cheng Yen. I believe that people like Master Cheng Yen, people like the volunteers and the commissioners of Tzu Chi are helping to create a better world for us to live in.
“This is not easy because in our world, everybody is thinking about himself and we're destroying many, many beautiful things. We're destroying nature. We think about money. We think about how to create better lives for ourselves. And Master Cheng Yen, and you people actually, are thinking about everybody else. I know this is like a drop of water in the big sea, but one drop and another drop and another drop, we could become a big sea. That is why I'm doing everything I can to help this Foundation and to try to spread this message of love and brotherhood.”
A winner of the Israeli Singer of the Year and Best Vocal Performer awards, David and his band of virtuoso musicians prepared a repertoire of 13 inspiring compositions including sensational hits such as ‘Too Much Heaven’, ‘Evening of Roses’ and ‘Phantom of the Opera’. He also performed Tzu Chi songs such as ‘Prayer’ and the Prelude to the ‘Sutra of Innumerable Meanings’.
A noted composer of Gold and Platinum hit songs, David also performed ‘Like a Garden’, a song derived from one of the teachings of Master Cheng Yen. He noted in an earlier performance in the Philippines in 2009, “The beautiful ideas behind the teachings of Master Cheng Yen on how a human being should behave and protect the nature and the world interest me very much. She is a very wise woman and I admire her. I added melody to those words because I believe that when you add music to it, it could reach the hearts of the people faster. And when somebody hums the music, he could think of the message behind that song.”
Besides heartwarming classical and opera masterpieces, David’s versatile and flexible singing prowess was also in his tribute to Whitney Houston, performing one of her biggest hit song, ‘Greatest Love of All’.
David, whose charm has gotten him closer to his audience, maintained the connection as he constantly communicated with the guests before and after each song. But what really captivated and moved the guests was when he performed the lively ‘Time for Love’ and ‘Jewish Medley’ where he asked the audience to hold hands and move merrily to the beat.
In the last act, David invited the whole audience to stand up and sing the Tzu Chi ‘Prayer’ with him. The lyrics of the closing performance spoke of the wishes of a world free of disasters and a society without conflicts.
“Though I couldn’t grasp some of David’s pronunciation in his singing, it didn’t matter because I like the entire performance very much. The message of this concert is very much close to our heart and to the aspect of nature,” commented audience Ye Mei Ping who thought that the theme of love and compassion was splendidly entrenched in the two-hour show. “When I heard David sang the ‘Prayer’ song, I could really felt the calling for us to work together for the good of our world.”
Personally, Ye had been trying to promote environmental conservation in her company by showing Tzu Chi’s environmental protection videos during her company events. Even though there were some setbacks, she sees it as her social responsibility to practice conservation and continues to believe in the subtle influence her efforts can bring to her staff.
Eric Khor, a professional photographer and an instructor with the photography class of Tzu Chi University Continuing Education Centre (Singapore) brought his family to the concert that day. His wife Zhou Wen Tao was impressed with the fact that the performance of the trio has managed to “draw our world closer”. “My two sons like drawing and music respectively. I hope they could feel the meaning of today’s concert and learn to cherish what they have now,” added Zhou.
Liu Feng-chue, who hails from Taiwan, commended Tzu Chi’s effort in bringing timely aid to the suffering. She thought that the voice and melody of David’s song exuded an aura of selfless love and she agreed with David’s belief that only love can bring peace and harmony to the world.
Among the audience was also Etty Reuveny, an Israeli who brought her 12 Israeli friends to the concert. Etty said David is very much loved in Israel and she is happy to see him perform in Singapore. Although she had never heard the Tzu Chi ‘Prayer’ before, Etty said she felt strangely heartened by the song when David and the audience sang it in English and Chinese respectively. The resonance and spiritual harmony was beautiful. “It’s a bonus!” exclaimed Etty.
Music is the common language of humanity and Love is the common faith of mankind. Though the two-hour humanistic feast had come to an end, the volunteers pray that the voices of Great Love continue to resonate in the hearts of each guest and more people would put their love into action and join Tzu Chi’s ranks to serve society and the global village.
Like the ‘We Are Family’ song penned by David, the concerts remind us that the world community is indeed one family, sharing the same dreams for a peaceful planet, where all people can live in safety, and with dignity.
“Three Humanitarians. Three Nationalities. One Spirit.” (From left) David D’Or from Israel, Vittorio Amadio from Italy and Johnny Yin from Taiwan. (Photo by Tan Cheng Hwa)
Italian maestro Vittorio Amadio painting to the performance of Johnny Yin, which adds a unique East-meets-West visual element to the concert. (Photo by Khor Kim Seng)
Audience held their palms together as David D’Or sings the Tzu Chi Prayer song. (Photo by Wong Twee Hee)
Mr Philip Kia Er Chew, Vice Chairman of Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry’s Culture, Education & Community Affairs Committee, also came to support the concert. (Photo by Pua Poo Toong)
Professional photographer and instructor with the photography class of Tzu Chi University Continuing Education Centre (Singapore) Eric Khor with his wife and two sons. (Photo by Chai Yu Leong)
Johnny Yin and David D’Or signing their albums for the audience. (Photo by Wong Twee Hee)
Israeli Etty Reuveny is happy to see David D’Or perform in Singapore and brought 12 of her Israeli friends to support the charity cause. (Photo by Tan Cheng Hwa)
Close to 3000 audience were present at the two concerts performed by David D’Or, Johnny yin and Vittorio Amadio. (Photo by Chua Teong Seng)
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