The Choral Principle in Silencing the British Empire

Korean violinist Won Hyung-Joon for nearly a decade has been attempting to create a joint North-South Korea orchestra, as a cultural contribution to bring peace and unity to the divided Koreas. In a presentation and concert yesterday at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., Won spoke about the way playing in an orchestra requires creative interaction which supersedes differences among the participants—in a way similar to Lyndon LaRouche’s discussion of the “choral principle.”

Won further commented that Asian music historically did not have orchestras, but primarily individual players or small groups, and that the introduction of classical culture from the West has helped develop this process in the East.

Recall, in that regard, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s frequent reference to the Belt and Road Initiative as, not a solo performance being played only by China, but more like a symphony orchestra. As then State Councillor and now Politburo member Yang Jiechi put it back in 2017: “The Belt and Road Initiative was proposed by China. Yet it’s not going to be China’s solo show. A better analogy would be that of a symphony performed by an orchestra composed of all participating countries.”

That same philosophical and strategic outlook, that composition of harmony out of diversity, was again brought to bear by Xi Jinping in a major Dec. 18 policy address on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the “Reform and Opening Up” policy, which was key to creating China’s modern economic miracle. Xi not only documented China’s extraordinary economic achievements in physical economy—such as lifting 740 million people out of poverty in 40 years, and raising the average life expectancy from 67.8 years in 1981 to 76.7 today—but he also again offered the Belt and Road Initiative as the basis for win-win cooperation with all nations, especially the United States.

With life expectancy in the United States dropping for the last three years (something not seen since the early 20th century); with poverty and suffering rising across the trans-Atlantic sector still subject to the British Empire’s looting policies; with a financial blowout far larger than that of 2008 now looming before us; this is an offer which we cannot, we must not refuse. America has a leading role to play in that emerging concert of nations, which can finally silence the British Empire and its policies.

The principles of economic statecraft to achieve that have been laid out uniquely by Lyndon LaRouche. As he wrote on June 17, 1994: “The principles of scientific discovery and the principles of artistic creativity, are identical. They are also complementary. I know of very few creative scientists generally, who are not involved, usually in Classical music in some way or other, or in some form of art. It’s the most natural thing in the world. Not to have music with science, is like having only one-half of yourself. It completes you, just as it nourished me.”

The Schiller Institute NYC Chorus performs Beethoven’s Choral Fantasia, Op. 80 (Full), Spirituals & Brahms on November 18, 2018.