Resounding start to their season in Ding Yi’s diverse exploration of modern Chinese music.

In Ding Yi’s opening concert of 2024, the Chinese chamber music ensemble starts off by fusing both East and West with Traversing, uniting international musicians, composers, and conductors to present a new side to Chinese music that goes beyond time and cultural boundaries.

Conducted by Resident Conductor Wong De Li, Dedric, and guest conductor Maestro Tsung Yeh, the concert presents a repertoire of modern works that take inspiration from ancient history, literature, and music. The evening opened with Chen Xinruo’s ‘Sejuteng – A Gallop of Colours’, a work derived from a drum-driven Tang dynasty work that encapsulates the culture and sounds of the era, and is played by a nonet of musicians. The piece starts off soft and unassuming, before it continues to build, and we hear the drums more prominently. To stage left, we see a musician tapping a drum with a snakeskin, and the sound is intricate, the melody led by traditional instruments while the drums are further amplified. Beyond the drums, the wind instruments also come to the fore, while the percussions come together nicely, and the guzheng provides an additional ‘voice’ to the conversation of instruments. One begins to imagine these elements coming together, a whirlwind of sound that presents an image of horses, a lively ritual of some kind that heralds the beginning of a celebration, as we dive into this world of Chinese culture.

In the second piece, the ensemble presented Mo Fan’s ‘Oasis’, said to depict the majesty of an oasis in the Xinjiang desert, uniting humanity and nature. Conductor Tsung Yeh cuts an astute figure onstage, and this cross cultural piece also features talents from the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, showing the universality of music. Starting off with a great dizi solo by Ng Hsien Han, the rest of the orchestra then joins in, and all these sounds and ideas begin to coalesce seamlessly into a melting pot of cultures. As the party starts and the conversation begins, we see a photo of an actual oasis in the desert, and we ponder this metaphor – can we ever find our own peace within the harsh world? The answer is yes – at least, through music, as we find ourselves guided by the notes and melody, refreshed by the gentle embrace of these sounds.

Drawing inspiration from Ken Liu’s short story of the same name, the next piece, Jonathan Shin’s ‘Good Hunting’ is roughly divided into three sections – a lyrical aria, a dramatic and melancholic opening, and a loud, rancorous finale. In the original short story, Liu wrote of a fictitious world where a father and son hunt down a fox spirit, only for the son to eventually befriend the spirit’s daughter. Opening with every musician on the same note, it feels as if all musicians are synced and cohesive, ready for the hunt, while Ng Pei-Sian begins his cello solo. Haunting and urgent, the guzheng comes in with a second melody, and together, creates the atmosphere of an exhilarating chase scene, almost as if we feel our own life is in danger, running as fast as we can. Bringing to life the characters within the story with exhilarating sounds, the facial expressions and emotions on Pei-Sian’s face in the denouement tells us all we need to know about the intensity and collaboration present in this piece, as we feel every character’s emotion, imagining the friendship forged and obstacles in their way, as they work together to defeat a common enemy.

After a brief intermission, we welcomed back Tsung Yeh and Pei-Sian to the stage, as the ensemble performed Chen Yi’s ‘Sound of the Five’, as adapted by Phang Kok Jun. Comprising five movements, the piece was originally commissioned for a Western orchestra to replicate the sound of Chinese traditional instruments. Throughout the piece, Pei-Sian seems to maintain eye contact with Tsung Yeh, playful yet personal, confident and at one with his cello as he plays the melody, while the plucking of the ruan adds a steady beat to the music. The piece is varied and feels carefully constructed, a veritable fusion of East and West that symbolises the beauty of hybridity, and the sonorous result of a successful collaboration.

Rounding off the evening was Koh Cheng Jin’s ‘Legend of Badang’, which encapsulates powerful storytelling of the traditional Singapore story through music, and skilful conductorship. Adding a traditional kompang to the lineup of instruments, the Malay drum contributed to the overarching beat of the piece, and encapsulates the idea of cross-cultural collaboration at its best. The diverse musicians were in sync, all with their own instruments, and all working together in tandem to bring together this concert and make the music come alive. One can imagine Badang’s feats of strength represented through the music, and the sheer marvel an audience must have felt at having witnessed it, and what it means to showcase an intercultural work, where every instrument is given its chance to shine.

Through such interplay of cultures and tradition and sounds, Traversing marks a resounding, remarkable start to Dingyi’s season. Never one to shy away from unconventional takes or means of presenting Chinese music, Dingyi once again pushes the boundaries of what it could be, and thanks to the capabilities of the ensemble and dedication they’ve all put into their craft, it is clear these efforts are slowly bearing fruit.  

Photo Credit: Andrew Bi

Traversing played on 15th March 2024 at the Victoria Concert Hall. More information available here