Blazing Autumn People's Concert (2)

  On Oct.6, the "Blazing Autumn People's Concert," a free concert, was held at the New National Theatre, Tokyo.
 Japanese baritone Haruhisa Handa invited Conal Coad, a bass from New Zealand, Hiroko Onuki, a Japanese soprano and John Longmuir, a Scottish tenor. The singers were backed by the Tokyo Art Foundation's 20-year-old amateur chorus group, the Alps choir, and the Little Singers of Tokyo, which is a children's choir group and a member of Pueri Cantores. All singers were accompanied by an original orchestra set up specifically for the concert and comprised of members recruited from Japan's top orchestras.
 At the beginning of the program, Dr.Handa surprised the audience by singing Japan's national anthem, "Kimigayo." Then, the Alps choir appeared on the stage in somewhat comical attire. They put on blue, knee-length aprons emblazoned with a large red circle on white, which represents the Japanese flag. The choir sang two popular Japanese nursery songs followed by a well-known folk song.

(source: THE JAPAN TIMES, Oct.11, 2014)
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2014/10/10/music/singers-enchant-audience-opera-folk-songs/#.VGtLX_0cRMs