East Asian Music Summer School 2022
On September 2nd 2022, Nouvelles d'Europe (欧洲时報) published the following article:
Original Chinese text
2022英国东亚（中日韩）音乐暑校与音乐会圆满落幕
英国首次东亚（中日韩）音乐暑校与“东亚之声”音乐会上周末8月27日在伦大金史密斯学院风彩落幕. 此项目由旅英著名国乐音乐家程玉女士策划出品,“伦敦幽兰琴社”,“英国中乐团”和 “东亚音乐艺术”联合主办, 及伦大金史密斯学院协办。该项目基于“伦敦幽兰琴社和“英国中乐团”20年来不间断的暑期中国音乐学校, 且今年将其扩展到包含了日本和韩国的音乐课程, 并荣幸获得英国国家艺术局Arts Council England基金会赞助。 此举也是疫情以来首次举办的线下音乐活动, 报名及参加人数近200人。
此次暑期学校, 以学习中日韩器乐为主, 设有文化兴趣课为辅, 结合讲座, 示范, 雅集, 合奏课及音乐会为一体的系统项目. 就暑校的音乐课程而言, 已是琳琅满目，丰富多彩。除了中国传统乐器如古琴、琵琶、古筝、二胡、笛子、箫、葫芦丝等, 还包括了日本的乐器尺八与韩国长鼓也受到大家的喜爱。文化兴趣课设有瑜伽、书法、剪纸和绘画, 茶艺供大家选择。同学们根据自己喜爱的乐器与兴趣参与报名, 同学生在期末汇演上积极踊跃地参与演奏, 有效的呈现了学习成果, 大家都很有成就感。 师生之间气氛优雅和谐, 互相鼓励, 交流演示, 饮茶奏乐, 文书墨画, 呈现出一副不可复制的21世纪“东方文化之雅集”之独特画面.
该暑校活动的一大亮点乃是收尾节目“东亚之声“音乐会。 场地选在了在英国历史悠久的国家二级保护建筑Deptford市政府议会厅举行。古老建筑独特的风采与“东亚之声”音乐会的主题传承音乐文化遗产的理念正好遥相呼应。音乐会上由伦敦幽兰琴社创始人，旅英著名东亚音乐演奏家程玉博士带领幽兰琴社与中乐团丝竹乐队演出了数首耳熟能详的古琴经典曲目《关山月》,《酒狂》,《秋水》与《平沙落雁》；其他演奏家也分别带来了清新悠扬的演奏, 如古筝演奏家刘瑞中的《高山流水》程玉博士的琵琶独奏《阳春白雪》和青年二胡手沈鑫的《空山鸟语》和 万英老师的葫芦丝《渔歌》。由琴社创意的古琴与瑜伽心身合一为理念的一曲《普庵咒》也借此机会由瑜伽才女Echo Hong和幽兰琴友在此谦心演绎, 且颇受欢迎.。日本音乐家Kiku Day的尺八与韩国长鼓演奏家Jihye Kim的倾情演出均得到了大家的热捧与好评。结束曲是由此暑校的音乐家们合作的中日韩三国经典曲目联奏, 将中国的《夕阳箫鼓》日本的摇篮曲, Lullaby of Takeda和韩国的Arirang编制融汇在一起, 并有的新的演绎. 为这场别具一格的音乐会画上了圆满句号。
程玉博士带领的“丝风”中西合璧乐队今年七月刚刚作为唯一受邀的中国音乐组参加了重量级的世界音乐节WOMAD, 填写了浓重的一抹中国色彩. 她表示“中日韩”在历史, 文化和音乐艺术方面有着紧密的血缘关系和连结. 这次暑期举办的东亚音乐活动是她多年来的心愿，将中国和东亚音乐艺术更深广一步的介绍, 推广和分享在多元化的英国和西方的舞台上.
English translation (modified from Google Translate)
2022 UK East Asia (China, Japan and Korea) Music Summer School and Concert ended successfully
The UK's first East Asian (China, Japan and Korea) Music Summer School and the "Sounds of East Asia" concert ended wonderfully last weekend at Goldsmiths, University of London on August 27. This project was curated and produced by Dr. Cheng Yu, a well-known Chinese musician in the UK, founder of the London Youlan Qin Society (LYQS), the UK Chinese Music Ensemble and East Asian Music and Arts, in collaboration with Goldsmiths. The project was based on 20 years of consecutive summer Chinese music schools by LYQS and the UK Chinese Music Ensemble. This year it was expanded to include courses in Japanese and Korean music, and is honoured to have been awarded a grant by Arts Council England. This was also their first in-person music event held since the pandemic, with nearly 200 people signing up and participating.
This summer school was based mainly on learning Chinese, Japanese and Korean instrumental music, supplemented by cultural interest courses, combined with lectures, demonstrations, a yaji (elegant gathering), ensemble lessons and a concert. In addition to the traditional Chinese musical instruments guqin, pipa, guzheng, erhu, dizi, xiao and hulusi, the Japanese shakuhachi and Korean drums were also loved by everyone. Optional cultural interest classes included yoga, calligraphy, paper-cutting, painting, and tea art.
The students participated according to their favourite instruments and interests, and they actively participated in the final performance, effectively presenting their learning results, and everyone felt a sense of achievement. The atmosphere between teachers and students was elegant and harmonious, they encouraged each other, exchanged presentations, drank tea, played music, and wrote calligraphy, presenting a unique picture that cannot be replicated in their 21st century "Elegant Oriental Culture Gathering".
One of the highlights of the summer school was the closing concert, "Sounds of East Asia". The venue was the Deptford City Council Hall, a historic Grade II listed building. The unique architectural style of this ancient building echoes the concept of inheriting musical cultural heritage as the theme of this special concert. At the concert, Dr. Cheng Yu led the London Youlan Qin Society and the Silk & Bamboo Ensemble of the UK Chinese Music Ensemble to perform several well-known guqin classics: "Moon over the Mountain Pass", "Drunken Frenzy", "Autumn Water" and "Wild Geese Landing on the Sandbank"; other performers also brought fresh and melodious performances, such as "High Mountains and Flowing Water" by guzheng player Jason Lau, Dr. Cheng Yu's pipa solo "Sunny Spring and White Snow", young erhu player Shen Xin's "Birds in the Empty Mountains" and Mr Wan Ying's hulusi piece "Fisherman's Song". "Incantation of Puan", arranged by the London Youlan Qin Society to combine the spirituality of the guqin with yoga, performed by members of LYQS and the talented yoga tutor Echo Hong, was well received. Japanese shakuhachi player Kiku Day’s and Korean long drum player Jihye Kim's performances were also popular and praised by everyone. The closing piece was a medley of classics from the Chinese, Japanese and Korean repertoires by the musicians of this summer school. It integrated the Chinese piece "Flute and Drum at Sunset", the Japanese lullaby “Lullaby of Takeda” and the Korean song Arirang In a new interpretation. The concert concluded with this highlight.
In July 2022, Dr. Cheng Yu led the Chinese-Western mixed ensemble Silk Breeze as the only Chinese music group invited to participate in the highly acclaimed world music festival WOMAD, adding a strong voice for Chinese music. She said that "China, Japan and Korea have close ties through their history, culture and musical art”. It has been her intention for many years to introduce, promote and share Chinese and East Asian music art on the Western stage in diverse UK. The East Asian music event held this summer has certainly fulfilled that wish.
http://www.oushinet.com/static/content/qj/qjnews/2022-09-02/app_1015311179339403264.html
© Nouvelles d'Europe (欧洲时報) 2022.