Oct 19, 2014, a unique service blending Chinese music and traditional Episcopal Holy Eucharist was held at the Trinity Memorial Episcopal Church, Binghamton NY.
Church Musician Mr. Peter Browne set the service music of the Eucharist to folk tunes of China. He also invited one of his student at Binghamton SUNY, miss Jiawei Mao and I to play the guqin in his church service program.
Prelude : Flowing Water. 流水 performed by Jiawei Mao (metal string)
Offertory: Harmony Between Man and God. 神人暢 by Peiyou Chang (silk string)
Communion: Ode of Autumn Wind 秋風辭 by Jiawei Mao (metal string)
Postlude: Liezi Rides on the Wind 列子御風 by Peiyou Chang (silk string)
Here is a 10 minutes clip of the qin playing.
當我彈完最後一曲時, 抬頭一看, 哇! 怎麼是這麼多人, 因為以為最後Postlude 人們可能會陸續離席.可是看來沒有人離席, 大家都坐著聽完最後一曲. 我有點傻到又有點驚喜.
After I finished the postlude, and raised my head, I saw everyone still sitting there, no body had left. I was a little surprised and it was a mix feeling, nervous, exciting, touched...
Peiyou, Jiawei and the Rev. Dr. David A. Drebert. Rector.
Jiawei, Church Musician, Mr. Peter Browne and Peiyou
An ad on Wednesday Oct 15th local newspaper, Press & Sun Bulletin
Thanks for the lovely bouquet of flower from the church.
Special Music Notes Page 1
Special Music Notes, Page 2
Church Service Program page 11
Church Service Program page 9, 10
Church Service Program page 7, 8
Church Service Program page 5, 6
Church Service Program page 3, 4
Church Service Program page 1, 2
Church Service Program Cover
這一次是教會的音樂師--彼得教授,邀請我和葭葦,參加他的教會特別節目. 彼得指揮教堂的合唱團. 他利用了幾首中國地方民歌的旋律改由英文唱. 這是這所教堂有始以來首次結合中國音樂到教會音樂中. 在當地算是小轟動的創舉. 因為彼得也在Binghamton大學教音樂理論, 而葭葦是他的學生, 因而讓彼得教授認識了古琴. 而我婆婆也認識彼得教授, 也因此介紹我給彼得教授認識, 所以這個圈子就接上了, 彼得因為這次的中國音樂入西方教堂的活動也讓古琴進了教堂,所以我們才能很榮幸的為當地教友演奏古琴. 彼得教授及所有教堂的人幾乎都是第一次聽到現場古琴演奏, 彼得教授的太太聽完所有的音樂還感動的落淚. 這真的是另所有人難忘的一次經驗.
Prof. Peter Browne is the Trinity Memorial Church's Musician and also teaches Musicianship at Binghamton University. He is conducting the choir of the church and adapted some Chinese folk songs (including Lan Hua Hua, from North of Shanxi Province) to the church's hymns. Jiawei Mao is Prof. Peter's student and that is how Peter wanted to have the Guqin music in the church to be part of his Chinese music program. My mother in law also knows Prof. Peter and when she heard about Peter's plan of the special service, she introduced me to Peter. That is how this circle got connected.
Peter decided to used two mics, one is a wireless mic which connect to the Church sound system so the last row can hear the subtlety of the guqin, and the amplifier was there for qin players to hear our own playing.
Almost everyone in the audience heard life guqin first time in their life, and many told us that they were so touched by the sound of the guqin. There was one young Chinese high school girl from Ithaca came by her mother's friend. Ithaca is one hour driving distance from Binghamton. Jiawei's professor of Chinese history, and the director of the Confucious Institute Mr. Chen and his wife, Mrs Hong Zhang also came to the church. Jiawei and I, we both felt so honored and blessed that we can play for people in Binghamton area. This is really an unforgettable experience for all of us.
