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|  | | In Celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China | |
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Bank of China (Hong Kong) presents
A Drum Fanfare for Beijing Olympics 2008
Majestic Drums IX
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Time to celebrate
with rousing drums
and tuneful music
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The first Hong Kong Drum Festival was held in 2003. It set three Guinness Records with 3,000 people in a drum rally, the world's largest Tai Ping Gu (peace drum) with a diameter of 3.5 metres, and the world's largest gong with a diameter of 1.55 metres. The activity helped Hong Kong to rally round from the doldrums of post-SARS days. This year, the Drum Festival is already into its 5th year. We are also celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the run-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. With so many causes to celebrate, we have lined up a programme with a super cast which consists of two virtuosi in drums - Abbos Kosimov from Uzbekistan and Chen Zuohui from China, a virtuosi in suona Wang Peiyu, also from China, and the group that always raises a storm every time it is in town, the Shanxi Jiangzhou Drum Troupe. Together with our very own Ronald Chin, Assistant Principal Percussion, and the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, they would bestow the best wishes of peace and prosperity for Hong Kong on its 10th birthday, and drum up a fanfare for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. We have specially commissioned Tang Jianping, the famous composer in Beijing, to write Let the Thunder of Drums Roll VI, as a grand finale. The audience will join our guest performers and the Orchestra to play the piece, which would bring the concert to a rousing close.
Abbos Kosimov, a world famous virtuoso in doira, the Uzbek hand drum, will be making his debut in Hong Kong on the occasion. Kosimov came from a family of musicians, and has taught many drummers his art. He formed the Abbos Percussion Group in 1998, which he took on world tours that won him international fame. In 2001, at the 10th Anniversary of Uzbekistan's Independence, Kosimov was presented with a medal as an ¡§Honored Artist of Uzbekistan¡¨. On his visit to Hong Kong, he will be also bringing his group and they will perform traditional works such as the piece that has made them famous, Zarbga-Zarb. Then joining the HKCO, the group will premiere a new arrangement by local composer, Alfred Wong, Dilkhiroj.
The Shanxi Jiangzhou Drum Troupe will be performing a piece of drum music from their native Jiangzhou, Lady Warriors of the Yang Family at the first concert, and Spring Tide on the Yellow River at the second. Chen Zuohui, Wang Peiyu and the Orchestra will be performing different works on the two evenings: the first is the Chaoyang dizi suite Happily Going Up the Mansion, and Spring Comes to the Fishing Port. Both are representative of the vernacular genre called 'Chaozhou da luogu', or 'full-sized ensemble of Chiuchow percussion music'. On the second evening, they will be performing another two sets, Netting Fish and Guan Yu Fighting His Way through Five Battlements. The brilliance of sounds and sonorous timbre highlight the folkloric background of the pieces, and set an interesting contrast to the modernity of Ever-changing, written by local composer Richard Tsang and performed by Ronald Chin. The diversity of musical experience stands testimony to the rich possibilities of the world of percussion music.
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Know your Chinese
music
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Chiuchow Percussion Music - a 'civil' and 'military' act
Like pipa music, the regional genre of Chaozhou da luogu (full-sized ensemble of Chiuchow percussion music) also has two repertoires, the civil and the military. The unique Chaozhou da luogu is indigenous to the Chaozhou region, and boasts a long history. The drum is the leader in an ensemble primarily made up of percussion instruments, but supported by wind and strings. The unique sounds are created by the indigenous brass cymbals and gongs, which come in a variety of sizes to give tonal variations. When they are played with the winds and strings, there is a fine balance of the robust and the lyrical. For example, a suona that plays the theme melody against the da luogu ensemble will entitle the piece as a 'suona da luogu', and a dizi, a 'dizi da luogu', in the same tradition as the 'concerto' in western music. One example is Happily Going Up the Mansion that is on the concert programme, which is a da luogu suite with the dizi.
By itself, the sub-genre has a rich repertoire of traditional music, which can be largely divided into the paizi suite and the changxing suite. The former often tells a story by linking up dozens of set tunes from the local operas, and is performed continuously for one to two hours. The latter builds on the former but incorporates folk songs and short tunes and some percussive elements, so it has more popular appeal and is simpler, or more flexible, in performance. Chaozhou da luogu first began as ensembles playing in rituals and on ceremonial occasions, with the musicians either performing in village squares or while walking in the procession. Changxing suites refer to the music played in processions, and their length varies because of the distance. Paizi suites can again be subdivided, with the 'civil' suites concentrating on the more lyrical aspects of life, emotional moments and romantic love (one example is Netting Fish, which can be heard in this concert series), and the 'military' suites to describe the spectacular scenes of political strife, the battlefield etc. (the example on this occasion being Guan Yu Fighting His Way through Five Battlements).
Since the 1950's, the genre has developed with leaps and bounds. From the village square to the concert stage, and to the world arena by winning international competitions, Chaozhou da luogu ensemble music has come a long way. It is also rejuvenated by new works that are added to the repertoire. Spring Comes to the Fishing Port, which is on the concert programme, is an example.
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| Programme |
Shanxi Jiangzhou Drum Music
The Lady Warriors of the Yang Family (21.9 only)
Spring Tide of the Yellow River (22.9 only)
Performed by Shanxi Jiangzhou Drum Troupe
Doyra (Uzbekistan) Zarbga-Zarb
Performed by Abbos Percussion Group
Doyra and Orchestra Dilkhiroj Arr. by Alfred Wong
(Arrangement commissioned by the HKCO / Premiere)
Performed by Abbos Percussion Group and
Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra
Chaoyang Dizi Suite and Da Luogu
Happily Going Up the Mansion
Collated by Ding Zengqin and Chen Zuohui Orch. by Fang Xiaomin (21.9 only)
Chaozhou Daluogu Spring Comes to the Fishing Port
Zheng Shimin, Cai Yuwen and Lin Yunxi Orch. by Fang Xiaomin (21.9 only)
Chaozhou Da Luogu Netting Fish Arr. And Orch. Yu Yiwen
(22.9 only)
Chaozhou Da Luogu
Guan Yu Fighting His Way through Five Battlements
Collated, Arr. and Orch. by Yu Yiwen and Chen Zuohui (22.9 only)
Performed by Chen Zuohui, Wang Peiyu and
Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra
Percussion Concerto Ever-changing Richard Tsang
Performed by Ronald Chin and Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra
Percussion and Orchestra Let the Thunder of Drums Roll VI
Tang Jianping
(Specially composed for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games)
(Commissioned by the HKCO / World Premiere)
Performed by All soloists, ensembles,
Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra and audience
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| Date :
21-22.9.2007
Time : 8:00 pm
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Venue :
Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall |
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$250, 200, 150, 100
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Yan Huichang
Conductor |
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¡§Meticulous execution with a charming stage presence¡¨
The Straits Times, Singapore
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¡§The group's charismatic conductor, Yan Huichang, directed the afternoon with sophisticated elan.¡¨
Bruce Hodges, MusicWeb International
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Shanxi Jiangzhou Drum Troupe
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The Shanxi Jiangzhou Drum Troupe was established in 1988. Since then, it has been actively seeking to introduce modern elements into traditional percussion music and traditional elements into modern percussion music. The Troupe was the first to place the folk gongs and drums onto the performing stage, and Jiangzhou drum music onto the world stage.
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The Troupe won the highest scores at the 2nd National Folk Music and Dance Competition, five gold and one silvers at the All Star Awards, and consecutive championships at the National Gongs and Drums Tournament. It has toured Denmark, Morocco, the United States, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore, Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, winning popular and critical acclaim. It was described as "one of the triumvirate drum troupes in the world".
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Jiangzhou drum music was among the first to be selected as an intangible cultural heritage at national level in China. The Shanxi Jiangzhou Drum Troupe was named 'a Non-governmental Advanced Collective in Performing Arts at National Level' by the Publicity Department and the Ministry of Culture of China.
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Abbos Percussion Group
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Abbos Kosimov
Abbos Kosimov was born into a musical family in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. After graduating from the Tashkent State Institute of Culture in 1994, Abbos joined the faculty. He founded his own ¡§Abbos School¡¨ to teach talented young people to play the doira, and the ¡§Abbos Percussion Group¡¨ to perform music with their ethnic instruments.
In 2001, at the 10th Anniversary of Uzbekistan's Independence, Kosimov was presented with a medal as an ¡§Honored Artist of Uzbekistan¡¨. He participated in many international festivals and concerts, which took him to the USA, Canada, England, Japan, Germany, France, Belgium, Luxemburg, Greece, Bangkok, Taiwan, Malaysia, Moscow, Azerbaijan, Kazakistan,Tajikistan and Kyrgyzistan. In October 2006, Kosimov and his group of doira players performed at the PASIC 2006 in Austin, Texas. He has made a recording with Stevie Wonder, and toured India, Singapore and Dubai with Zakir Hussain.
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Chen Zuohui
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Chen Zuohui is a famous performer of drum music in China, a National Class One Musician, Concertmaster and Percussion Principal of the Chinese Orchestra of the Guangdong Song and Dance Theatre.
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Chen has won a Class One Award for Performance at the 1st National Invitation Competition in Cantonese Music and a Gold Award for Performance at the 1st Shanxi International Gongs and Drums Festival - Percussion Section. His work, Festivity of the Masses, has won critical acclaim wherever it was taken on tour.
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Chen is a versatile percussionist outside his native genre of Chaozhou gongs and drums. He can play drum music of other ethnic groups in China as well as western percussion. As a performer, he plays with a well-balanced style, sensitive touch, natural flair, intoned expressiveness and panache. He is at present dedicated to the performance, research, composition and teaching of Chinese drum music. Since he has been appointed Concertmaster of the Chinese Orchestra of the Guangdong Song and Dance Theatre, he has been dedicated to promoting Chinese music, in particular the music of southern Guangdong, and performing with the artists of the Orchestra.
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Wang Peiyu
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Wang Peiyu is recitalist and composer of Chaozhou music. Born into a family of musicians steeped in Chaozhou music, he was trained at a young age in all four categories of Chinese musical instruments - wind, bowed-strings, plucked-strings and percussion - through the traditional methods of person-to-person coaching. He is currently a specialist in Chaozhou music at the Shantou City Arts Centre and a National Class Two Composer.
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Wang performs with a rather quiet, plain and restrained style, whether when he is playing the erxian, suona or zheng. He was one of the organizers and the lead player in Green Melodies, a concert of Chaozhou music, which was highly acclaimed by the Publicity Department and the Ministry of Culture of China as well as the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles.
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Over the years, Wang has been an active figure in the music conservatories in China, serving as instructor of Chaozhou music in many institutes and for many groups. He was presented with a 'usicianship Award' by the Guangdong Musicians' Association in 2007.
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Ronald Chin
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A local young percussionist. Ronald Chin studied percussion from Ho Man-chuen, Lung Heung-wing, Law Wing-fai and Yim Hok-man. He graduated with distinction from the School of Music of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in 1989, majoring in percussion. In 1995, he received the Lee Hysan Foundation Scholarship to further his studies in the United States.
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A veteran performer in both Chinese and western percussion instruments, Chin has represented Hong Kong in various performance tours around the world. In 1996, he became the first Hong Kong percussionist to be invited by the Percussion Arts Society to give a solo performance at their annual International Convention (PASIC) in Nashville, Texas, and received unanimous acclaim. Since 2000, Chin' name has been included in the Outstanding Musicians of the 20th Century published by the International Biographical Centre of Cambridge University.
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Chin joined the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra in 1989, and is currently Assistant Percussion Principal.
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