31st July, 2007

This, the 26th meeting of the London Youlan Qin Society, was held at the Royal Aademy of Music in London, during the Chinese Music Summer School.

Introduction

Cheng Yu began the proceedings by introducing the London Youlan Qin Society for the benefit of those new to it. We were honoured to be joined by Professor Zeng Chengwei, who was teaching the qin classes.

Music

The following music was played:
  1. Gu Guan Yu Shen 孤馆逾神 (Meeting a Ghost in a Deserted House), played by Zeng Chengwei
  2. Ping Sha Luo Yan 平沙落雁 (Wild Geese Descending on the Level Sand) Played by Zeng Chengwei
  3. Ping Sha Luo Yan 平沙落雁 (Wild Geese Descending on the Level Sand), played by Charlie Huang
  4. Qing Shan Ye Yu 青山夜雨 (Night Rain on Mt. Qing), composed and played by Jim Binkley
  5. Xiao Xiang Shui Yun 潇湘水云 (Mist ofver the Xiao and Xiang Rivers) played by Chen Jinwei
  6. Yi Guren 亿故人 (Memories of an Old Friend), played by Jenny Zhao
  7. Shishang Liu Quan 石上流泉 (A Spring Flowing over Stones), played by Julian Joseph
  8. Jiu Kuang 酒狂 (Drunken Ecstasy), played by Joshua Wickerham
  9. Dongting Qiu Si 洞 庭秋思 (Autumn Thoughts at Lake Dongting), played by Dan Nung Ing *
  10. Liu Shui 流水 (Flowing Water), played by Cheng Yu
* All pieces were played on a qin made by Zeng Chengwei except no. 10, which was played on a Qing Dynasty qin fitted with silk strings.

Questions and answers

The music was followed by a short question and answer session. First of all, Jim Binkley was asked for the status of his translation project. Jim replied that he published his translation of the Yu Gu Zhai Qinpu 与古斋琴谱 in December, via an internet-based publisher that enables people to self-publish specialisd books. All one has to do is submit a pdf file.

Chen Jinwei then asked how the Shu (Sichuan) style of qin playing, of which Zeng Chengwei is a representative player, differs from other styles. Professor Zeng said that the Shu style is more rounded, spontaneous and natural than styles from the East coast areas such as Zhejiang, which tend to be more sophisticated. Two pieces typical of the Shu style are Zui Yu Chang Wan 醉渔唱晚 (Drunken Fishermen Singing at Dusk) and Liu Shui 流水 (Flowing Water). They well demonstrate the free and natural flow of notes characteristic of the style.

Another question concerned whether qin music has a written tradition, or whether the music is transmitted orally. Qin pieces have been down for many centuries using a special notation known as jianpu 简 谱 (simplified character notation), which is a kind of tablature. It is a skeletal notation in that it gives only the main notes, but little indication of rhythm or dynamics, and so is open to individual interpretation by qin players.

Professor Zeng also noted that in the Tang Dynasty, more than 1000 years ago, there was a qin maker in Sichuan called Lei Wei. He made a famous qin, now in the Palace Museum in Beijing, which has a very transparent sound which comes through very quickly. This is typical of the kind of sound Sichuan players like: open and not at all reserved.




    Zeng Chengwei playing Gu Guan Yu Shen

         		Jim Binkley playing Qing Shan Ye Yu
    		 Joshua Wickerham playing Jiu Kuang



    Jenny Zhao playing Yi Guren
    		 Charlie Huang playing Ping Sha Luo Yan
    		 Zeng Chengwei discussing the Shu style


    Copyright the London Youlan Qin Society, 2007. All rights reserved.