insidetoronto.com

That's when the Toronto Chinese Opera Group meets to play traditional Chinese instruments and sing a style of music that is more than 260 years old.

North York resident Gee Chong Zung, one of the founding members of the opera group that has been in existence since 1975, said Beijing, or Peking Opera as it's also known, was created to entertain the emperor and royal families, who later brought it into the lives of average Chinese citizens.

The operas are sung in Mandarin, the language spoken in Mainland China.

According to china-pages.com, Beijing Opera tells fairy tales of past dynasties, historical events as well as stories about people from emperors to great beauties.

"There are so many stories," Zung said. "China has a long history, 3,000 years, all have stories from different dynasties."

Using actors dressed in rich, colourful costumes and elaborate face makeup, performers sing, talk, mime and use acrobatic fighting and dancing to tell the story, and represent characters and their feelings, the website said.

The actors, as well as the musicians, are lead by a conductor, who has his finger on the pulse of everything that is happening on stage, Zung said.

At a recent meeting of the Toronto Chinese Opera Group, the conductor was leading a group of musicians including the percussionists and strings and the singer's gestures and movements, as well as playing a drum and clapper to control the beat or tempo of the opera.

Other traditional instruments in Beijing Opera include a large gong, a larger round-shaped copper plate with a short wooden stick that offers a loud sound; a small gong that offers a low and sharp sound; and a symbol, two small copper plates that are used by hitting them together. This offers a sharp sound.

String instruments include a ching hu, or Chinese violin, which is the leading or main instrument that makes a sharp and loud sound; an erhu, another type of Chinese violin that makes a soft and lower sound; a moon guitar, a moon-shaped lute with a single string that makes a louder sound; and a san hsien, which has three strings and offers a low tone.

The purpose of all the instruments, Zung said, is to play a melody to accompany the actor's singing.

While Beijing Opera has a long history, like many forms of art, it's seeing a slowdown in popularity, Zung said.

"Young people don't like Beijing Opera," said Zung, who said much like Western children, Chinese youth tend to like popular music with "normal" singing.

However, at least in Beijing, the government is offering opportunities for young people to understand and appreciate the art of the opera by offering music classes.

"Gradually they have more younger people coming out."

The Toronto Chinese Opera Group split in two several years ago with a second group - with younger members - operating out of Mississauga. The entire group has grown from 10 members in 1975 to about 20 people in each of the two groups.

The groups are completely separate, each offering an executive committee, but they come together at least once a year to host a professional performance. While the members of the Toronto Chinese Opera Group do the background work, they hire professional Beijing Opera actors, musicians and conductors from Canada, New York and Beijing itself to perform.

"Appreciation of the audience is expecting more. Amateurs are nothing. Once a year we have a professional show with amateurs as the supporting cast."

People wanting to see the Toronto Chinese Opera Group perform can often do so in various local TV productions and at the Royal Ontario Museum, the Ontario Science Centre and local libraries.

They are also having a three-play performance May 24 at the Burhamthorpe Library Theatre in Mississauga. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door. Zung is one of the singers.

The performance will showcase some of the costumes the groups have purchased in the last 30-plus years of existence. Many of the costumes came from Shanghai or Beijing.

The Toronto Chinese Opera Group meets from 12:30 to 4 p.m. at St. Paul's L'Amoreaux Centre, 3333 Finch Ave. E. People are invited to join the group or simply listen to the music.