‘Longyin – The Dragon Chants’ is an enchanting collaboration between eminent multi-instrumentalists Cheng Yu and Dennis Kwong Thye Lee.
Performed exclusively on the guqin and the xiao flute, we hear a collection of pieces spanning hundreds of years, each with a story to tell. These tales are beautifully conveyed through the harmonic artistry of the two performers and their innate connection to their respective instruments. Many of the album’s songs tell historical stories of folklore or fact, and often both. Others depict a time, or a place, immortalised in the writings and performances of this magical music.
The seven-stringed guqin – which translates literally as ancient zither – is a quiet instrument, considered one of great subtlety and refinement. The guqin played on the album Longyin – meaning The Dragon Chants – was named by a previous owner and legendary sinologist Robert Hans Van Gulik and has passed on through the years, eventually finding an ideal partner in Cheng Yu. With clear reverence for an instrument so steeped in history, she thought its name a perfect title for a collection that celebrates her homeland’s culture and musical traditions. Longyin is played with original 1930s Chinese silk strings to produce a warmer, gentler sound. The vertically played xiao is an ancient flute made traditionally from bamboo. Deeply immersed in Chinese mythology and positive symbolism, the Xiao is more than a simple instrument. It is an ancient cultural artefact and an important part of China’s incredible heritage.
Album: Longyin – The Dragon Chants
Artist: Cheng Yu with Dennis Kwong Thye Lee
Label: ARC Music
Cat#: EUCD2951
Released: Friday 24th September 2021
