A collaborative project between the Qinghe Xuan Beiguang Ensemble and local musicology students might help the aging folk group to continue its heritage.
A two-day workshop was held as a part of an ongoing effort between the ensemble based in Chiayi County’s Budai Township (布袋) and Nanhua University’s Department of Ethnomusicology.
Qinghe Xuan is one of the few remaining Beiguan ensembles in Taiwan and a county government-recognized intangible cultural heritage with a repertoire of more than 30 operas, including traditional temple operas and original compositions, its leader, Huang Chin-tsai (黃錦才), said.
Photo: Lin Yi-chang, Taipei Times
However, the ensemble has failed to recruit new members and its regular members — with the youngest being 55 years old — are concerned that they might not be able to pass on the art to the next generation, Huang said.
The presence of young people in the workshop learning and discussing traditional music with the ensemble was a heartening experience, he said, adding: “Seeing those young people put the fire back in my belly.”
“I hope the young students continue to exchange ideas with the ensemble and bring innovation to our stage production, composition and performance style. In five years, I would like to show a new Qinhe Xuan to the audience,” Huang said.
The workshop’s popularity came as a surprise to the department, which originally allocated 15 spots, but ended up attracting 30 students, said Ma Ming-hui (馬銘輝), an assistant professor of ethnomusicology at the university.
Student Wu Yen-chen (吳彥真) said he used to think traditional temple music was easy to play, but practicing it at the workshop showed him otherwise, as the musical notation and rules of composition are different from modern music.
Student Chou Li-hsuan (周立軒) said there is room for combining traditional and popular music in ways which popular singers such as Jay Chou (周杰倫) and Emil Chou (周華健) have tried.
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