To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30, 1975 – April 30, 2025), a special chamber symphony concert titled “The Song of Unity” was held on the evening of April 21 at the Southern Region Military Theater (Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City). The program was directed by the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People's Army and organized by the Military University of Culture and Arts.
The event was graced by high-ranking Party and military officials, including Politburo Member and Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Propaganda and Education Nguyễn Trọng Nghĩa; Colonel General Trịnh Văn Quyết, Member of the Party Central Committee and Head of the General Department of Politics; General Nguyễn Tân Cương, Chief of the General Staff and Deputy Minister of National Defense; and Colonel General Võ Minh Lương, Deputy Minister of National Defense. Also in attendance were representatives from central and local agencies and former Vice President Trương Mỹ Hoa.
Comrade Nguyễn Trọng Nghĩa, Member of the Politburo, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Central Commission for Propaganda and Mass Mobilization, along with other delegates, participated in the program.
“The Song of Unity” marks the most extensive chamber symphony production ever staged by the Vietnamese military’s professional arts sector. With 22 meticulously crafted performances, the concert was structured into three thematic movements, each spotlighting a pivotal period in Vietnam’s modern history:
Movement I: “The South Goes First, Returns Last” featured stirring works like “Return to the Motherland” (Nguyễn Văn Thương), “Gratitude to Võ Thị Sáu” (Nguyễn Đức Toàn), and “307th Battalion” (Nguyễn Hữu Trí), portraying the resilient struggle for independence from the late 19th century to 1954.
Movement II: “Songs of the Battlefield” included wartime anthems such as “Footsteps Along the Trường Sơn Trail” (Vũ Trọng Hối), “Singing atop Trường Sơn” (Huy Du), “Bringing Lunch to My Mother in the Fields” (Hàn Ngọc Bích), and “Hanoi Anthem” (Vũ Thanh). These pieces celebrated the patriotism, bravery, and indomitable spirit of the Vietnamese people during the Resistance War against America (1954–1975).
Movement III: “Monument to Victory” presented epic compositions like “The Posture of Bến Tre” (Nguyễn Văn Tý), “Spring on the Đăk Rông River” (Tố Hải), the medley “Spring in the Resistance Zone – Salute to the Liberation Soldier” (Xuân Hồng – Hoàng Vân), “You Are the Unshakable Faith” (Chu Minh), and the titular “The Song of Unity” (Võ Văn Di). These works glorified the monumental victory of April 30, 1975, and reaffirmed Vietnam’s enduring strength in national defense, reconstruction, and development.
More than 100 performers took part in the grand production, including 60 orchestra members, 20 choral singers, and over 20 celebrated soloists and artists from the Military Symphony Orchestra, the Military University of Culture and Arts, the General Department of Politics, and the Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera. Renowned artists such as People’s Artist Dương Minh Đức, Meritorious Artists Vũ Thắng Lợi, Phạm Khánh Ngọc, Vân Mai, Đinh Hoài Xuân, and singers Phạm Thu Hà, Lê Xuân Hảo, Trịnh Phương, Đỗ Tố Hoa, Lương Nguyệt Anh, and Lê Minh Ngọc lent their voices to the performance. Conductors included Colonel, People’s Artist Nguyễn Xuân Bắc and Meritorious Artist Trần Vương Thạch.
Uniquely, “The Song of Unity” brought together more than 100 artists, blending the refined language of classical music with a profound national spirit. The result was a deeply moving experience that captured the sacred and heroic atmosphere of Vietnam’s reunification.
Beyond the auditorium, the concert was streamed live on the official Facebook page of the Military University of Culture and Arts and shared by military performance units nationwide. An outdoor stage was also set up with large LED screens and high-quality sound systems to accommodate hundreds of live spectators.
Audience members expressed deep emotion and pride in witnessing a production of such scale and quality—one that not only honored the past but also resonated with themes of gratitude, remembrance, and a collective longing for peace.
“The Song of Unity” was more than a concert—it was a resounding anthem of national pride and a testament to the power of culture and the arts in preserving tradition, nurturing patriotism, and inspiring progress.
(Photos from the performance available below)
Translated by MINH KIÊN
VNQD