People's Daily Online:

Recent military parades have featured a joint military band to enhance the commemorative atmosphere. Could you provide details on how this year's military band was formed and trained? Thank you.

Xu Guizhong:

The joint military band was formed according to the overall design of the parade. We selected key members from the PLA Honor Guard's military band and other units to form a joint military band, aiming to create a solemn, grand atmosphere for the commemorative event. First, in selecting the musical repertoire, we balanced political significance, contemporary relevance, ceremonial solemnity, and artistic excellence through systematic programming that preserves tradition while embracing innovation. We have included representative classics such as "On the Songhua River" and "Defend the Yellow River," while also creating new compositions that embody the spirit of the times. This musical selection reflects both the hardships and glories of 14 years of arduous struggle, while highlighting the grand momentum of the people's armed forces marching forward in the new era. Second, the performance formation includes 14 rows in total, symbolizing the 14 years of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. The front row features 80 ceremonial trumpeters, representing the 80th anniversary of the victory in the war. This arrangement combines historical elements with contemporary features. Third, in terms of organizing the performance training, the joint military band performs while standing throughout the entire inspection. This is a comprehensive test of performance level, combat demeanor, command coordination and overall physical fitness. We have implemented specialized training for solo performances, section ensembles and full band ensembles. The training has focused on the integration of sections with the full band, the coordination between instrumental performance and vocal accompaniment, and the synchronization between the military band and parade formations. Meanwhile, we have strengthened targeted training for movement uniformity and performance stability to comprehensively enhance the military band's joint performance standards. Thank you.