Kaohsiung tenors show a great affection for hometown

　In October, the trio of local tenors gave a performance to prelude the concert of Jose Carreras, one of the century's best lyric tenors, whose singing brings forth an outburst of enthusiasm with vocal art in the harbor city.

　The trio of opera singers from Kaohsiung is composed of Director of Taiwan Chorus Wu Hung-chang, Tso Chi-ming, and Wang Hui-min. They share similar experience: all born in Kaohsiung, pursuing studies in Italy, returning to Taiwan to play active roles in vocal performance, and engaging in the education and promotion of music. A decade ago, Wu returned from Italy, and devoted himself to music education. Furthermore, in an effort to promote vocal music, he established Taiwan Chorus, which holds at least two concert tours annually to maintain performing standard.

　Wu not only sings what he has learned, but also dedicates his life to the archiving of works by Taiwanese composers. Rooted in Kaohsiung, Taiwan Chorus has won an excellent reputation and rendered the musical creations of renowned composers Huang Yau-tai and Hsiao Tyzen. Its continuous performances successfully promoted tunes created by Taiwanese composers, and attracted a huge audience.

　"At the beginning, we gave away tickets to attract audience; now the annual concerts are sold out right away and fully packed." From primary school students to senior citizens, the chorus is always suiting both refined and popular tastes. Those who are familiar with the performing group know that Wu as director and lead singer plays a key role in getting things going. To recruit one hundred members, he gathered 30 male singers from government agencies and spent four nights a week to offer them free and strict individual training. He also spares no efforts in preparing appropriate repertoire to better its performance.

　Wu aims to file Taiwanese folk songs systematically and turn them into audio data with the establishment of Taiwan Chorus. He shows his everlasting love for Kaohsiung with his vocal performance. In contrast with Carreras's glamour, we hear from him an innate affection for the local land.

港都男高音 鄉土真情獻聲 

◎文．圖／林美秀

　　十月，港都藝文天空充滿了男高音高亢清亮天籟聲音，先是「港都三大留義男高音」為首次來高雄演唱的「世紀三大男高音之一－卡瑞拉斯演唱會」熱身，接著卡瑞拉斯巨星演唱魅力把港都欣賞聲樂的熱情推到最高點。

　　臨危受命的「港都三大留義男高音」是台灣合唱團團長吳宏璋，左其明、王惠民。他們三個人的共通點都是港都人，先後留學義大利，回國後都活躍於聲樂界，從事音樂教學及音樂推廣。吳宏璋是港都較早留義的聲樂家，也是少數返鄉獻身高雄的本土聲樂家，十年前從義大利留學歸國回到高雄，他不但投身音樂界作育英才，更成立台灣合唱團，以每年至少兩次的巡迴演唱會建立合唱團的演唱水準，增加港都欣賞聲樂的機會。

　身為高雄在地聲樂家，吳宏璋不僅唱出所學歌聲，更以整理台灣作曲家作品為己任。台灣合唱團從高雄出發，不但唱出「高雄品牌」，更帶出名作曲家黃友棣、蕭泰然的作品曲集風貌，不斷的高聲傳唱，不但讓台灣作曲家的曲目廣為接受，也建立了合唱團龐大的觀眾群。「剛設團時，我們是送票請人來聽我們唱歌；現在，每年年度公演門票一售而空，場場爆滿。」吳宏璋指出他們的觀眾群從小學生到老阿公，外行的聽弦律，內行的聽技巧，但總能雅俗共賞。其實，熟悉台灣合唱團的觀眾都可以感受到吳宏璋是台灣合唱團的靈魂人物，指揮兼主唱，他可是費盡苦心，為了建構一百人合唱團，他到公家單位找了三十幾位男聲，每週花四個晚上，免費施行音樂系一對一嚴格的聲樂訓練，為了讓合唱團演出一次比一次精采，絞盡腦汁排曲目，他自己也表示，音樂會曲目就像是廚師配菜單一樣，要恰到好處，油放多過膩，鹽太少則太淡。

　將台灣歌謠有系統地整理，錄製成有聲資料，是吳宏璋成立台灣合唱團的一個宗旨，唱出高雄人的心聲更是他對港都不變的真情，相較於卡瑞拉斯的明星風采，我們聽到的是另一種對鄉土的真情獻聲。