Exclusive: Although our cultures may be different, we can all relate to those same messages: One Voice Children's Choir tells Global Times

"If you have ever suffered for my sweetness, I am willing to live as your wish. May it not be in vain, may we move forward bravely, in this prosperous world every day..." The chorus of As You Wish resonated in front of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, or Qiniandian, at the Temple of Heaven on Thursday. However, passersby were surprised to find that the performers of this Chinese song were a children's choir from the US called One Voice Children's Choir. The children's beautiful singing was recorded in a video and quickly went viral on social media platforms.

After the final performance of their China tour on Saturday evening, One Voice founder and conductor Masa Fukuda expressed in an exclusive interview with the Global Times that he felt "very, very honored" to receive so much attention. He stated that "everyone in the choir had a wonderful experience in China." Fukuda believes that despite cultural differences, everyone can relate to the same messages.

Fukuda introduced that One Voice was just singing casually and having fun at the Temple of Heaven at that time. Once they started singing, many people gathered around, and the video subsequently spread on social media platforms. When a reporter from the Global Times informed him that the video had received over a million likes, Fukuda appeared very surprised.

"I believe As You Wish is a song that ties family together," said Fukuda. "Although our cultures may be different, there is so much that… we can all relate to those same messages. I hope that no matter what people are going through, the content conveyed by the song will touch and inspire them."

The One Voice Children's Choir, from Utah, the US, is made up of a group of children who met while singing at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. This tour marks One Voice's return to China after 2023, with performances in cities such as Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Chengdu, and Beijing.

In addition to As You Wish, Tomorrow Will Be Better is also a signature song for One Voice. Fukuda introduced that during this year's tour, One Voice performed Tomorrow Will Be Better alongside two other English songs, Heal the World and We Are the World. "Last year, Tomorrow Will Be Better received a warm welcome from Chinese audiences. This year, we are combining the three songs because they convey the same message... Even though we speak different languages, we share the same goals, dreams, and emotions," said Fukuda.

During the final performance on Saturday evening, Fukuda and the children couldn't help but shed tears, continuously waving goodbye to the Chinese audience. "This is our last performance in China. The warm welcome from the Chinese people has moved us deeply, touching our hearts and making every child shed tears... We love China and we love the Chinese people."