The Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall resonated with a blend of youthful harmonies and cross-cultural warmth on the evening of January 11, as the Utah-based One Voice Children's Choir concluded their China tour with a New Year's concert.

This visit marked the choir's second consecutive year-end tour in the country, featuring a program that seamlessly wove together pop anthems like "Counting Stars," "See You Again," spirited dance numbers, and poignant Chinese songs, including a heartfelt rendition of "Wish."

For the young American performers, the experience transcended a typical overseas tour. Member Jaden reflected on the palpable connection with the audience: "It was really meaningful to me because all the people here seemed to enjoy the show. You guys matched our energy, and we matched yours."

The sentiment of a lasting bond was echoed by Elias, for whom this was a third visit. "It was very emotional," he shared. "I will always want to come back to China." Siena, who tackled the challenge of learning Chinese lyrics, found the greatest reward in the human connections forged. "Building bridges and helping connect people is so worth the 16 hours on a plane," she said.

The emotional depth of the evening was further amplified by a personal narrative spanning decades. Ross Boothe, the choir's band director, revealed a profound family connection to China. His father, Randy Boothe, led the BYU Young Ambassadors, the first American performance group to tour China in the late 1970s. "The Young Ambassadors played in this very hall 30 years ago," Boothe recounted, his voice hinting at the weight of the moment. "Now, my dad was here at that time. And now I'm here, and my kids are here. Music has been the thread that makes all that happen."

This intergenerational "thread" of music and mutual understanding directly inspired the centerpiece of the Guangzhou performance: the original song "We Are Together." The choir collaborated with local teenagers from the Liwan Children's Palace to perform the piece. Boothe explained its origins, describing a moment of creative clarity while driving several weeks before the trip. The goal was to distill their message to its essence. "I said, 'We are together. We are one,'" he recalled. A search for the Chinese translation - "wo men zai yi qi" - solidified the concept. "The heritage I hope I'm passing on has a connection to music," Boothe reflected, "but the real heritage is a true, honest love for the people of the world and the people of China."

Founded in connection with the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, the nonprofit One Voice Children's Choir has evolved from a local group into a global project with a mission to amplify youth voices and foster empathy. Their performance in Guangzhou served as a living testament to this vision, demonstrating how artistic collaboration can weave a continuous tapestry of friendship across generations and cultures, proving that some messages, when sung from the heart, require no translation.