The evening of April 28th, 2019 witnesses a splendid and passionate night of joy, as the final of the 24th Beihang Campus Singing Competition took place at the stadium of Shahe Campus. At 6:30 pm, the stadium has been packed with audience whose flashing glow sticks lighten up the night. At 7 pm, the competition kicked off with the singing of Zhao Simeng, who won the third place at the 23rd Singing Competition.
After the preliminary and semi-final stages of the competition,10 participants advance to the final which includes four rounds. In the first round, the 10 participants are divided into two teams (Team A & Team B). In each turn, two individuals are chosen from each side to compete against each other. The team with more winners will be qualified for the second round, while only one member from the other team has the chance to enter. The one who gets the highest total sum of scores in first two rounds can get to the final round directly to contend for the championship. The second and the third will have another round, and the winner will enter the Round 4.
In the Round 1, the 10 participants are divided into two teams (Team A & Team B). Zhao Hesen kicks off the competition with the song “Grandiose” (Fu Kua). In contrast with his sunny and lovely disposition, his energetic voice and thrilling high notes shock the audience. The girl who competes with Zhao Hesen is Luan Tian, a lovely girl with sweet smile “Love of My Life” & “We Will Rock You”, two songs of totally different styles (one is soothing while the other is powerful) were perfectly combined in her performance, which lightens the atmosphere.
Zhao Hesen vs. Luan Tian
Then comes the second groups of competitors Sun Zehan and Li Yu’ang. At the beginning of Sun Zehan’s show, she creatively uses a loud speaker to add a fresh element to the performance. “Diary of Nonsense” (Hu Hua Ri Ji), sung by Li Yu’ang, a versatile boy from Chong Qing, reminds the audience of those peaceful old days.
Sun Zehan vs. Li Yu’ang
Followed by their impressive performance is a contest between two groups of participants. The group of Han Yujia and Chen Yaxi brings back a vivid recollection of love and friendship in the past with the song “Old Days” (Jiu Ri Shi Guang). Their beautiful chorus touches the listeners’ soul, stirring in old memories of the past summer days. The other group BLZ includes a singer and a rapper. The singer's voice is so delicated as if listeners are drawn into a world millions of light years away. The rapper’s backup adds vigor and vitality to the song.
Han Yujia & Chen Yaxi vs. BLZ
Then, Feng Taoyu, a basketball lover, is matched against Zhou Zheng. The “Boy” (Nan Hai) sung by Feng Taoyu create a vivid image of a boy in his youth who is simple, kind and full of enthusiasm for life. The participant’s portamento is as gentle as a breeze. By contrast, Zhou Zheng has a deep and husky voice. Accompanied by his song “Surmount the Hill” (Yue Guo Shan Qiu), the audience is immersed in a vision where they climb up hills one after another and finally gain new insight into the philosophy of life.
Feng Taoyu vs. Zhou Zheng
The last group of competitors are Li Shuting from Team A and Cao Shuhao from Team B. At the beginning of the song “If Clouds Know” (Ru Guo Yun Zhi Dao), Li Shuting sings a solo without instrumental accompaniment. Her tender voice is like fluffy clouds laden with sadness. Cao uses a love song “Love You Slowly” (Man Man Xi Huan Ni) to tell that love is not a fleeting moment, but an eternal story.
Li Shuting vs. Cao Shuhao
After the first round of the competition, Duan Xiaoyue and Xia Chenxi sings their original song “Chasing the Sun” to extol their dauntless and regretless youth where they embark on the adventure dauntlessly. After a careful evaluation of judges and audiences, Team A and BLZ from Group B are announced to be qualified for the next round.
Later on, BLZ starts the second round with a powerful song “Love the way you lie”, followed by Sun Zehan who sings “The Eldest Kid” (Zhang Zi), a song for parents. A deafening cheer goes up from the crowd as Han Yujia and Chen Yaxi show off their beautiful voice by singing “Улаанбаатарын vдэш”. Then, “Secret Fragrance” (An Xiang) by Feng Taoyu combines the classic style with modern elements. After him, Li Shuting’s “Prairie in July” (Qi Yue De Cao Yuan) presents her skillful coloratura. Last, Zhao Hesen sings another love song “A Seductive Street” (You Huo De Jie).
Before the hosts announce the result of Round 2, champions of the previous competitions give splendid performance including “Mountain & Sea” (Shan Hai) by Xia Tian, the champion of the 23rd competition; “Take All You Want Away” (Ni Yao De Quan Na Zou) by Wang Tianyang, the champion of the 22nd competition; “The Sound of Falling Snow” (Xue Luo Xia De Sheng Yin) by Feng Xincheng, the champion of the 21st competition.
Xia Tian, Mountain & Sea
Wang Tianyang, Take All You Want Away
Feng Xincheng, The Sound of Falling Snow
As the team with the highest score, Han Yujia and Chen Yaxi enter the showdown directly. BLZ and Sun Zehan then have a playoff in which they perform the song “Flashlight” and “Shape of You”, respectively. BLZ won the third round at last.
The playoff starts as Han Yujia & Chen Yaxi sing a delightful song “Happy Heart” with charming dance steps, bringing happiness and relaxation to the crowd. By contrast, BLZ sings a quite and warm song “For You”, a song written and composed by the team members. Their story-telling song strikes a deep chord with audiences. After the voting, Han Yujia & Chen Yaxi win the first prize and BLZ gets the second prize.
Wang Kai, a famous tenor, presented the awards to the competitors and performs the song “O Sole Mio”. A chorus of “I Love You, China” (Wo Ai Ni Zhong Guo) marks the end of the competition.
The competition is planned, catered and run by organizers from the School of Materials Science and Engineering Student Union and Shijia College Student Union, who invest a considerable time and effort into presenting such a memorable night. It is a great feast for the eyes and a meaningful carnival that gives the audience a wonderful enjoyment. The students interpret their passionate youth stories with their vigorous energy, flying dance and lively music, leaving enduring memories for their fans. “I am pleasant to witness the progress of the campus singing competition year after year. I feel grateful to all the organizers for creating such a successful event,” said Gao Lei, the counselor of Shijia College.
Planned and Written by Zhao Yue
Designed by Wang Chuqian
Photographed by Li Niao, Shen Yanzhe, Ma Yongjian, Xu Chang and Liu Kunhao
Special thanks to Shijia College
