Seoul, August 23 (KCNA) -- The DPRK's State Symphony Orchestra's performance in Seoul has created a great stir among South Koreans.
    Leading media including Hangyore, Kyunghyang daily news, Dong-a Ilbo and Hankuk Ilbo, Yonhap News, Christian Broadcasting System reported about the orchestra's performance under such headlines as "State symphony orchestra's performance characterized by mixed orchestra" and "Performance highlighting essence of music."
    They said the north's symphony is an orchestra of new style in which western musical instruments are properly mixed with Korean traditional ones. It gives peculiar tone, which can be heard nowhere else, and strong national sentiment.
    Orchestra "Rich Harvest Comes to the Chongsan Plain" in particular sounded like a declaration of mixed orchestra, they stressed, describing the State Symphony Orchestra's performance as one of top level that fully demonstrated the pride of Pyongyang.
    Saying the performance stirred up warm compatriotic feelings and desire for reunification, the media reported that at the end of the performance the audience gave non-stop deafening applause and cheers and sang in chorus with performers the songs "Hometown in Spring" and "Our Wish Is Reunification".
    The performance also evoked a great sensation from among people of political, social, cultural and other circles.
    Hong Song Gyu, chief of the "Korean Broadcasting System" center for audience, said he wanted to appreciate again orchestra "Rich Harvest Comes to the Chongsan Plain" even after it was replayed. It was something unprecedented that an orchestra was encored, he said, adding this orchestra is the best, flawless piece of music.
    Hwang Pyong Gi, a professor of music at Ehwa Woman's University, had this to say:
    The north's unique mixed orchestras aroused strong national sentiment as they are based on traditional folk songs familiar to South Koreans and on the north's songs.
    A music critic, Ro Tong Un, professor at Chungang University, said the State Symphony Orchestra has proved the possibility to fully develop the arts with national melody.
    O Mi Hwan, a journalist of Hankuk Ilbo, said that the numbers of the orchestra are wonderful enough for South Korean musicians to envy and learn and that its unique quality of tone can be taken as a guideline for the development of the nation's music.
    O Jae Sik, residing in Seoul, said he was deeply moved to see the north and South Korean artistes staging the joint performance and the audience giving applause and singing in chorus to the tune of orchestras. He keenly felt that national reunification should be realized at an early date, he added.

from KCNA

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