Samba performance scores a hit for students at global gymnastic contest in Birmingham

LONDON, March 21 (Xinhua) -- The beats of samba music sounded at the start of the Gymnastics World Cup in Birmingham Wednesday, thanks to an ensemble of percussion students, two of them from China's Taiwan.

Yu-Tzu Kung from Keelung City and Tzu-Jo Huang from Toufen City are part of an ensemble made up of students from Birmingham City University's Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

The conservatoire's Millennial Percussion ensemble performed in front of up to 15,800 spectators as part of the opening ceremony.

The performance filled Arena Birmingham with the sounds of a vast array of instruments, including an opera gong, cymbals, apex drums, a taiko, surdos and a repinique.

Held in Arena Birmingham and part of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) World Cup Series, the global competition features nine women and nine men representing eight different countries as they aim to take home the prestigious titles.

The ensemble performed an excerpt from Apex' by Golden Globe-nominated composer Ben Wallfisch, who has worked on more than 60 feature films over the last decade.

Adrian Spillett, head of percussion at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, said: "It's a real buzz to see the students playing to so many people; what an experience for them. The exposure at the Gymnastics World Cup will showcase the Percussion Department's versatility whilst also presenting the students with a fantastic professional development opportunity." Enditem