An Event of Nanguan with WANG XinXin, QingQing Sing

Music

An artistic feast of flowers in spring with nanguan music Competing with the most beautiful tune of ci poetry in the Song Dynasty
In the music of WANG Xin-xin, you'll fall in love with nanguan

Nanguan is one of the most ancient music genres in China, which originates in northern China but becomes popular in southern Fujian Province, Taiwan and Chinese communities in Southeast Asia, as well as one of the most precious treasures in Taiwan's traditional music. XinXin Nanguan Ensemble has upheld the principle of being faithful to traditional tunes yet dedicated to infusing modern senses into the interpretation and creation of Nanguan music so as to convey the thoughts and affections of modern people.

With flowers as the main theme, the concert features the traditional format and arrangement of repertoire in the first half, in which traditional nanguan songs related to flowers are selected, such as Fortunate Encounter with Spring, Qing Qing Sing, and the famous piece without lyrics, Hundreds of Birds Returning Nest. Among them, Qing Qing Sing has been acclaimed as the "king of all songs" because its lyrics incorporate the titles of 42 other pieces, making the song an assembly of various pieces of nanguan music. The second half of the concert, on the other hand, uses "Butterflies in Love with Flowers," the most beautiful tune of ci poetry in the Song Dynasty, as the subject and selects the literary works by five of the most renowned poets in the Song Dynasty, including SU Shi (SU Dong-po), OU Yang-xiu, YAN Shu, LIU Yong and LI Qing-zhao, to compose new work for nanguan music, which makes its premiere in 2019.

Music Director │ Wang Xin-xin

“We wait in silence before she shows up; when she begins to sing, we simply forget where we are,” described LIN Hwai-ming. Wang Xinxin started learning nanguan at the age of four. Since then, she has mastered various types of this Chinese ancient music and is particularly famous for her singing, thus becoming a rare well-round talent in the nanguan music. She establishes the Xinxin Nanguang Ensemble, dedicated to promoting the traditional music by upholding the principle of “the most ancient is also the most modern.”

Production Team

  • XinXin Nanguan Ensemble
  • Director │ WU Su-chun
  • Producer │ LU Chien-ying
  • Duration: approx. 85 minutes with an intermission.
  • Performed in Southern Min with Chinese surtitles.
  • The age guidance for this production is 6+.

Programme

  • Traditional nanguan songs: Fortunate Encounter with Spring, Qing Qing Sing, and Hundreds of Birds Returning Nest; and newly-composed work: Butterflies in Love with Flowers.