WEBZINE ACC

French writer Pascal Quignard said,

“There are two ways to speak: 1) We listen to music; and 2) We wipe the tears of Saint Peter.” I believe the latter is more accurate. A man standing at the corner of the door suddenly bursts into tears when the rooster crows far away from the courtyard of the farm. It is early April, just before the dim light of the dawn pushes the darkness away.

“Erbarme dich (Have Mercy)” from the oratorio “Matthäuspassion (St Matthew Passion)” by Johann Sebastian Bach is sung over this scene. After denying Jesus three times, Peter weeps bitterly when he hears the crowing of the rooster, recalling Jesus’ prophecy: “Before a rooster crows this very night, you will deny me three times.” The low notes of the alto singer, singing the deep sorrow and despair of Peter, soar toward heaven with high notes of violin, like an earnest and desperate cry for salvation.

Recommended Video: Julia Hamari’s Erbarme dich from Matthäuspassion Go

We naturally immerse ourselves in the Christian pathos that runs through Western music history, accepting its history and culture through the resonance of the alto singer and the trembling solo violin. In this way, we have become accustomed to Western vocals, instruments, and musical scales.

The Asia Culture Center (ACC) is, as the name suggests, centered on Asia. The ACC consistently carries out various programs that allow people to experience, learn, and feel Asia. The “Asian Traditional Orchestra” is no exception. The history of this orchestra began with the ASEAN–Republic of Korea Commemorative Summit held in Jeju-do Island in May 2009.

The Asia Traditional Orchestra is composed of traditional instruments from Korea and the ten ASEAN member states: Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Dan bau (Source | Naver Encyclopedia)

Dan tranh (Source | Naver Encyclopedia)

For example, the Vietnamese string instrument, the Dan bau, is a box-shaped zither with a single string and a narrow and long resonator. Another string instrument, the Dan tranh, is similar to the Korean Gayageum, with 16 or 17 strings attached to a resonator. The Dan bau produces a high-pitched voice of a woman, while the Dan tranh is known for its intricate and decorative repetitive sound.

Just as traditional Korean instruments like the Geomungo, Gayageum, Daegeum, Haegeum, and Ajaeng have unique tones and convey the distinct mood and sentiment of Korea, Thai instruments like the Ranat Ek and Saw Ou each resemble a xylophone and Haegeum in appearance. However, the tone and sentiment of these instruments are quite different. Each country’s music and instruments facilitate intergenerational communication through unique emotions and cultural genes called memes that can’t be notated.

The Korean traditional music a capella group Torys opened the performances for the day, which was followed by compositions such as Cambodia’s One Asia by composer Sam Ang Sam, the Philippines’ Going to Asia by composer Maria Christine Muyco, Vietnam’s Homeland Lullaby by composer Nguyen Hong Thai, Indonesia’s Archipelago of Indonesia by composer Iso Eddy Himawarso, Thailand’s Silpabanleng Rhapsody by composer Chaibhuk Bhutrachind, Singapore’s Voice of the Heart by composer Eric Watson, Malaysia’s Pencak Bersulam by composer Mohd Yazid bin Zakaria, and the grand finale, Korea’s Love Asia by composer Park Beom-hoon.

In the era of globalization, a trip to Southeast Asia has become as common as traveling to Jeju-do Island, but the opportunities to listen to the voices of the neighboring Asian countries are still few. But the Asia Culture Center is close to the citizens of Gwangju. Experiencing a new landscape is a form of travel, but listening to a new sound is also another kind of journey. Although visual signals are processed by humans faster than auditory signals, I believe sounds linger in our bodies and hearts longer than light. After the performances of this day, I felt I have a better understanding of and became more familiar with their history and culture.