3 Xiangxi Folk Songs

The culture of Xiangxi Tujia and Miao—a minority ethnic group in southern China—is something I am familiar with and feel fond of. My father has a strong connection to this ethnic group. I listened to all styles of music from Xiangxi region when I was younger.

The melody of first movement is based on a mountain song. Singing is an important part of daily activity for Xiangxi people, and there’s a saying from the region: “if a person can walk, then he/she can also sing.” In the beginning cello solo, I imagined a girl with a clear voice, standing on top of a mountain, and singing to the borderless land in front of her. The love for her life and her village is conveyed in her song. Then strings and woodwinds joins with melody similar to the cello solo but each instrument ornaments it differently. This is called heterophony, a texture that is important to many Eastern musical styles, including music from Xiangxi.

The second movement is a three-voice fugue. The subject and countersubject combined is a folk tune my father shared with me. I was attracted by the tunefulness and the repeated notes in this melody and thought it would make a great fugue subject.

The third movement contains two melodies playing simultaneously: one is from the first movement, and the other one is a famous Xiangxi folk song titled “Lampstand on A Mulberry Tree”. The lyrics of the song is about two lovers who are separated by war expressing their sadness and promises to each other.