Singapore, 6 November 2014 (Thursday) – SCO presents an annual concert featuring a different dialect to promote Chinese culture and heritage. This year, SCO presents a number of Min Nan tuneson 29 November 2014. This concert features top artistes from Quanzhou, China, who will perform “gaojia opera” and nanyin, with Music Director Tsung Yeh on the baton.
Gaojia opera originates from Quanzhou, Fujian. The form emerged in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. It was originally an improvised form that was part of a religious parade in which people carrying weapons and dressed up as heroes from the chinese “water margin” stories. In this concert, renowned “chou” actor Chen Jiang Feng and “dan” actress Chen Juan Juan, will take centrestage with the SCO to perform traditional gaojia opera “Sending Guan Fu Off”. The story is about Guan Fu, a junior officer based in Taiwan, who bid farewell to her lover Mei Juan as he is going back to his hometown on the mainland. Mei Juan sends him off and asks him to come back soon. Guan Fu swears an oath and promises to come back and marry Mei Juan. Both Chen Jiang Feng and Chen Juan Juan are China’s National First Class Artistes and representatives of “Intangible Cultural Heritage”.
Nanyin is an ancient Chinese music arts form that has been transmitted from the Han dynasty to present times. It’s a style of Chinese classical music originating in the southern Chinese province of Fujian. In 2009, China successfully championed for UNESCO designation of nanyin as an intangible cultural asset. Audience of Tunes of Min Nan will see “King of Nan Xiao” Wang Da Hao and his daughter, Wang Yi Ming, a renowned nanyin vocalist to present famous Moonlight Muse and Thoughts in the Silent Night. Wang Da Hao is awarded UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage with a specialising in nanyin.. He is also a member of the Chinese Musicians Association, committee member of the Chinese Bamboo Flute Association, vice president of the Fujian Nanxiao Association, executive member of the World Nanyin Association and President of the Professional Nanyin Committee of the Quanzhou Performing Arts Association.
Min Nan is geographically located in southern Fujian, which includes Quanzhou, Zhangzhou and Xiamen. Besides gaojia opera and nanyin, SCO commissioned local composer Law Wai Lun to compose a piece for Hong San See temple titled Symphonic Poem: Hong San See (world premiere), to share and promote the glorious Min Nan heritage. Hong San See temple is a UNESCO historical and preserved monument, which was constructed by the Nan An people in 1836. This piece illustrates the heritage and history of the Min Nan immigrants who came to Singapore in the past and settled down in Singapore.
Yajiao drum (foot drum) artiste from Quanzhou, You Yu Bin and percussionist Hong Cheng Qing, will premiere Mirror of Fate composed by Simon Kong Su Leong. This piece is based on the Ming dynasty literary work, Mirror of Fate, depicting the story of Chen San and Huang Wu Niang who, against the feudal system, pursuit the freedom of love. Taiwanese singer Huang Lien-Yu will also sing your modern Min Nan songs such as The Old Love is Continuous, Farmosa Mambo and The Beautiful Lighthouse.
A top-notch act with Fujian flavor and rhymes, mark this concert in your calendar!
Conductor: Tsung Yeh Nanyin (dong xiao): Wang Da Hao Nanyin (vocal): Wang Yi Ming
Gaojia opera (Dan): Gaojia opera (Chou): Yajiao drum (Foot drum):
Chen Juan Juan Chen Jiang Feng You Yu Bin
Percussion: Hong Cheng Qing Vocalist: Huang Lien-Yu
Concert details:
Tunes of Min Nan
Date: 29 November 2014 (Saturday)
Time: 8pm
Venue: SCO Concert Hall
Ticket Prices: $70, $60, $45/$30*, $30/$20* (exclude SISTIC fee)
Tickets from SISTIC (+65 6348 5555 / www.sistic.com.sg)
*Concession prices
Note: 28 November 2014’s concert is a sponsored concert.
Please contact Media Officers for more information, photographs and interviews.
Media Contacts
Pang Ze Shuen
Executive (Marketing Communications)
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
DID: 6557 4037 / 8404 1944
Toi Liang Shing
Executive (Marketing Communications)
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
DID: 6557 4020 / 9620 8280
Koh Mui Leng
Assistant Manager (Marketing Communications)
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
DID: 6557 4047 / 9833 0556