Idaho International Choral Festival Choir Highlight: The Tiantai Temple Buddhism Conservatory Dawn Choir from Madagascar
June 26, 2023
The Idaho International Choral Festival hosts choirs from around the world, to share the culture and community of music. Joining the festival this year is the Tiantai Temple Buddhism Conservatory Dawn Choir, a 60-voice chorus which is the first monk choir in Buddhist history.
Shi Wule is the abbot of the Tiantai Temple, and also the conductor of the symphony orchestra and the choir. In the past three years, he and dozens of Buddhist nuns have lived in Madagascar and preached Dharma.
“We Love music,” Wule says, “everyone plays music every day.”
The group used to live in Hong’an county, Hubei Province. The choir has attended the Asian-Pacific choir festival in Sri-Lanka in 2017, and many other choral festivals in China, where they won prizes in those competitions.
Wule says that since “Buddhism is mercy, the temple has taken lots of homeless children, even orphans over the past decade and raised them.” But he says the Chinese government discourages religious belief and rules that people cannot have religious belief under the age of 18. As a result, he had to face legal punishment three years ago, and finally decided to take the monks into exile in Madagascar at the end of 2019.
Over the past few years, Wule says they have enlisted the help of all sectors of society to build a temple in Madagascar. So far, they have invested $10 million to buy 3,000 acres of land and build four buildings, including the Mahamacha Hall which is nearly complete.
Through all of this, the choir never stopped rehearsing, and has gained attention in the choral society. The choir once performed in Mauritius, where the president attended the concerts.
Wule says they are very honored to get an invitation from the IICF in the US. During the trip they plan to visit local choirs and hold concerts.
“The trip is for international cultural exchange,” Wule says. “A group of Chinese young generation composers created pieces for us especially based on Chinese and Buddhist culture. We also learned international songs to try to connect with the world.”
The Tiantai Temple Buddhism Conservatory Dawn Choir will be performing alongside other choirs, including choirs from Catalonia (in Spain), Costa Rica, Poland, Uganda, San Francisco, and the USA. The festival takes place on the Idaho State University Pocatello campus during the week of July 12-16 and the public is invited to attend.
Idaho International Choral Festival 2023
Eight choirs from around the world, and a regional Idaho high school honor choir, will be engaging with the community and sharing lunchtime and evening concerts for all.
Lunch concerts are free to the public. Admission for the evening concerts is $10 per person for a single event or $30 per person for all evening events. An all-event pass for families is also available for $50.
Wednesday, July 12, 2023
9-10:30 a.m.
Welcome Ceremony and choir performances
Amphitheatre Portneuf Wellness Center
7-9:30 p.m.
Concerts at Jensen Hall and Frazier Hall featuring various choir groups
Thursday, July 13, 2023
11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Lunchtime concert on the ISU Quad
7-9:30 p.m.
Concerts at Jensen Hall and Frazier Hall featuring various choir groups
Friday, July 14, 2023
11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Lunchtime concert on the ISU Quad
7-9:30 p.m.
Concerts at Jensen Hall and Frazier Hall featuring various choir groups
Saturday, July 15, 2023
7-10 p.m.
Gala Concert, Jensen Hall featuring all choirs
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