Full Moon Festival Promoting Taichi and Guqin to Local Community

Saturday, September 17, 2016,  3:30pm to 5pm, at Jeffersonville Main Streen Events Stage, upstate NY, Peiyou joined with Yuni Han and Renjie Song to promote traditional Chinese culture to local community. We had demonstration of Chen Style Taichi 陳氏太極 and performance on the Guqin 古琴 with Xiao 蕭 (bamboo flute) to celebrate the full moon festival.

Our program includes:

1, Chen Style Taichi - Old Frame First Routine 陳氏太極老架一路 demonstrated by Renjie and Yuni with Peiyou's guqin playing of Seeking Truth 採真游. 

2, Interact with the audience with Renjie and Yuni's lead of Chen Style Taichi - silk reeling 陳氏太極纏絲功

3, Qin introduction and solo performance by Peiyou - Three Variation on the Plum Blossom 梅花三弄

4, Xiao introduction and solo performance by Renjie - Jasmine Flower 茉莉花

5, Qin solo by Peiyou - Wild Geese Descending on a Sandbank 平沙落雁

6, Qin and Xiao Duet by Peiyou and Renjie - Cold Mountain, Trace of Monk 寒山僧蹤

Many thanks to Yuni who invited me and Renjie to join this local community celebrating Chinese full moon festival event. It was a lovely day with lovely folks at this wonderful time. Jeffersonville NY is a little town where I had never been before. Wasn't sure if such quiet and meditated music would be appreciated or not by local folks who might had never hear it before. It came out very well and successful. 

At this event, I also introduced a little bit histories of the guqin, the full moon festival, and the story of eating moon cake at the day of full moon festival. Looking at the reaction from the audience, really made me glad and feel honored that I was there with them. 

丙申年仲秋桂月丁酉日 

有幸將古琴文化介紹給美國紐約上州一個小鎮上的居民們

韓潤伊女士牽的線

介紹我跟人傑兄加入這個海外慶中秋的活動

我們三人離彼此所住之處皆相隔遙遠(約兩到三小時車程)

能聚在一起練習並不容易

但結果是非常成功

頭四十五分鐘

潤伊跟人傑展演陳氏太極老架一路

我彈道家曲[採真游] 作為他們的背景音樂

在表演前一周

我研究了youtube上的陳正雷大師的老架一路

詳細了解他的每一個動作

然後不斷地彈著[採真游]來感受

心裡清楚何處大約該彈到哪

何處是收勢搭配琴之尾聲

最終現場表演時竟然完全如我所計畫

心中暗自歡喜

有一位觀眾媽媽聽完看完後表示感覺非常peaceful

然後問說還有沒有古琴音樂

人傑回答說有的馬上就會再度出來表演

人傑之後帶領觀眾練習簡單的陳氏纏絲功

觀眾以中老年人居多

但各各都很認真地移動著他們的身手

人傑很會帶動氣氛

讓觀眾們做得笑呵呵

之後並與潤伊在台上展示推手功夫

後四十五分鐘為音樂時間

在我彈琴之前先介紹了古琴的一點點歷史與文化

強調古琴有至少兩千多年的歷史

是文人修身養性的樂器

陰陽調和與大音希聲的哲學思想在古琴中充分顯現...

首先彈[梅花三弄]

一弄呌月聲入太霞

二弄穿雲聲入雲中

三弄風盪梅花

彈到三弄時現場徐徐清風吹過彷彿也在跟著音樂舞動

人傑接著表演簫獨奏

[茉莉花]

清新的傳統地方歌謠旋律

在他的竹簫聲中悠然響起

觀眾們已為之陶醉

琴接著獨奏一曲秋天非常適合彈奏的

[平沙落雁]

我將師祖吳兆基先生描述此曲的詩

以英文翻譯念給觀眾聽

以便觀眾能較容易理解如何欣賞此曲

最後以琴簫雙重奏現代譜寫的[寒山僧蹤]結束了我們的表演

夜客訪禪登巒峰

山間只一片霧朦朧...

拾得落紅　
葉葉來去都從容
君何須尋覓僧蹤

當地居民來了有大約二三十人左右
竟然有一半以上都去過中國遊玩
此前有聽過古琴的只有兩人
會說一點中文的大約三四人
中國文化相信有越來越多美國人願意去了解與欣賞
能將古琴結合太極介紹給當地居民對於我來說是感到非常榮幸與歡喜

This link has more photos from Jeffersonville photographer

https://www.facebook.com/brock.lady/media_set?set=a.10209789966767816.1073741855.1291177812&type=3&pnref=story

If you cannot see from the factbook link, please see the link below

https://goo.gl/photos/XBEL24VT58K8MSKy8

Master Yuan 2016 CDT Concert

September 3rd, 2016, Master Yuan Jung-ping's CDT 中道堂 guqin concert organized by Yuni was very nice. CDT has very good acoustic effect for the silk string qin. 5 music pieces: 秋塞吟, 憶故人, 瀟湘水雲, 鬲溪梅令, 離騷. I like Master Yuan's Lisao very much. After the concert, Renjie and Yuni and Hongmei were practicing the Chen Style Taichi 老架一路. Yuni's yard has all kinds of melon ready to harvest.

中道堂位於紐約上州一個山上, 堂內極適合彈絲絃古琴. 自然的琴音在堂內那是餘音繞樑. 中道堂距離紐約市要2個多小時車程. 昨日袁老師的古琴演奏會來聽琴的大都是從2-3小時車程遠的地方來的, 最遠是從華盛頓的Marilyn女士, 她一早五點多就動身. 聽好琴是不論遠近. 有緣人才能共襄盛舉.

袁老師的創作自姜夔的[鬲溪梅令]以及花費四年時間打譜自西麓堂琴統之20 段的[離騷]是會後大家討論的熱烈話題. 袁老師也對泛音與按音調絃的理論做了解釋. 但古琴這深厚的學問, 豈是兩個小時就能涵蓋一二的. 那是窮盡一個人一生的心血氣力, 彈者有心, 聽者必須更是要有一定的音樂程度方能感受到個中的玄妙. 

聽眾當中一位美國女士, 她自己吹長笛, 她先生與兒子都玩爵士音樂, 當她聽到來賓發問與袁老師的回答, 她很訝異所問與所答都是非常深入的問題.

CDT (Chung Dao Tang) is located in a mountain area at upstate NY. Its room is very suitable for playing the silk string guqin. Nature qin sound can be heard easily and lingering. CDT is about 2 hours driving distance from NYC. Most of the audience come to listen Master Yuan's qin concert yesterday at CDT were from 2-3 hours driving distance.  The farest was from Washington DC, she left her house  started from 5am.  Listen good guqin music, no matter how far, only those who are fortunate enough can sit together in a concert hall.

[Li Xi Mei Ling] from Song Dynasty poet Jiang Kui's lyrics and melody but qin composed by Master Yuan and the [Lisao] which Master Yuan spent 4 years deep study from XLTQT, total 20 sections, are the two pieces that was discussed the most at the Q & A after concert.  Master Yuan also explained the qin tuning theory of harmonics and pressing. Guqin has such deep knowledge and culture that there is never be able to talk fully in 2 hours. The player has to spent his or her whole life and energy to study and to be able to know deeper. Listener also need to have certain level of music knowledge to be able to understand the qin music. 

There is an American lady in the audience who plays western flute and her husband and son play Jazz music. She said that she was very impressed to hear the deep Q & A.