We all know that Christmas is a time for giving, an opportunity to find those special people in your life a special something to light up theirs. When I was a kid, the presents I gave my parents were usually handmade. Namely, a coupon book full of free hugs (confusing, seeing as how I wasn’t normally in the habit of charging for these) and pancake breakfasts (the pancakes were invariably made by the parent who wasn’t using the coupon, the mess was invariably made by me). At any rate, as they say, it’s the thought that counts, and my parents regularly delighted in my thoughtful gestures.
While my gifts were cute in their own right, they pale in comparison to the student vendors at Dulwich College Beijing’s (DCB) Christmas Bazaar and Concert this past Monday and Tuesday (December 9 and 10).
These students, displaying a level of initiative I never could have mustered at their age, bolstered by the entrepreneurial spirit currently nurtured amongst younger generations, were selling crafts and goods that made my coupon books look as worthless as the paper they were printed on (admittedly, they were worthless, but adorable nonetheless).
One such student-run business was Porteur de Savon, a group of Year 10 girls who create artisanal, natural soaps. The team, which consists of Aviva C., Jackie H., Cathy M., Angela Z., and Jenny Z., learned how to make the soap using a small instructional booklet that came with a kit, and refined their processes by watching videos online. Moreover, if it’s truly thoughtfulness that dictates the value of a gift, then these bars of soap are invaluable, because all of the proceeds are donated to Smile Angel Foundation, a charity founded by Chinese celebrities Faye Wong and Li Yapeng, which helps Chinese children born with cleft palates receive much-needed surgery.
Whereas Porteur de Savon was there to help people get clean, and children get healthy, Year 12 student Jadelle C.’s board game, Problem Planet, was there to tackle climate change and environmental justice, and is a perfect gift for the eco-warrior in your life. Using RMB 18,000 she was awarded as part of DCB International’s Pioneering Spirit Grant, Jadelle C. created almost the entire game on her own, even going so far as to write 170 of the 180 playing cards herself. Perhaps more impressive is the fact that, of all the applicants for the Pioneering Spirit Grant, which is open to DCB’s sprawling network of schools, Jadelle C. was the only recipient to have been awarded a grant as a one-student operation. Proceeds from Problem Planet support the World Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace, and Earth Justice, and you can learn more about the game here.
While the bazaar was a wonderful amalgamation of veteran vendors, budding business owners, and festive food and drinks, the night didn’t end there, but was capped off by the Senior School Christmas Concert (December 10), with the Junior School Christmas Concert having taken place the evening before.
The Senior School recital opened with “Once in Royal David’s City”, a hymn originally written by Cecil Frances Alexander, and set to music by organist, Henry John Gauntlett. The number was led by vocal soloist, Ava L., Year 11, a beautifully delicate rendition that possessed all the softness of a field freshly blanketed with snow.
The chamber orchestra then regaled the audience with “In the Bleak Midwinter” by Gustav Holst and arranged by John Leavitt, and “The Sleigh”, by Richard Kountz with arrangements by James Kazik. The former was an aural journey through a snowy park in a horse-drawn carriage, the latter evocative of snowball fights, elves constructing toys, and other merry mischief makers.
The talent of all involved was then on full display as they worked through various lineups including the boys’ choir, The Testostertones and the girls’ choir The Gracenotes, each of which performed Christmas favorites alongside hits such as Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” and Katrina and The Waves’ “Walking on Sunshine”, respectively, followed by the school’s big band medley of Motown tunes and more yuletide jingles from the concert band and chamber choir.
The evening closed with a standout finale by the symphony orchestra, whose powerful crescendos and expertly timed dynamics throughout “O Holy Night” shimmered with all the brilliance of the star of Bethlehem, hanging over that first Christmas night.
Photos: Courtesy of Dulwich College Beijing