Cao Zhen

THE Singapore Chinese Orchestra staged a folk music concert Tuesday night at Shenzhen Music Hall, presenting a total of six pieces inspired by Nanyang tradition and culture.

Titled “Legend of the Merlion,” the concert began with the 1920s Guangdong folk tune “Thunder Storm and Drought,” which describes people toiling in dire times to achieve a better life.

In “Volcanicity,” which refers to Indonesia’s Mount Merapi, the piece mixes the sheng (Chinese reed pipe wind) and percussion, creating massive tension not unlike the way lava collects prior to a volcanic explosion.

The Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO), founded in 1996, boasts of the patronage of Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien-loong. With the baton wielded by conductor Yeh Tsung, the orchestra aims to promote Chinese orchestral music.

“I joined the orchestra six years ago. For the consideration of its location, a global city, and nature of the country, we have not only traditional Chinese repertoire, but also a blend with pops and raw ethnic music, that is, the Nanyang repertoire,” said Yeh in an exclusive interview with the Shenzhen Daily.

Literally meaning “Southern Ocean,” the geographic region of Nanyang refers to the large ethnic Chinese population in Southeast Asia, to be more precise, in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Shanghai-born conductor Yeh is the first person to have conducted both a Western symphony orchestra and a major Chinese instrument orchestra. He is presently conductor laureate of the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, and serves as music director for both the Singapore Chinese Orchestra and the South Bend Symphony Orchestra in the United States.

Before he took up the position in Singapore, Yeh said few could imagine that the conductor of a Western symphony orchestra would try his hand at folk music.

“As a young orchestra in Singapore, its repertoire was not enough, (consisting of) only some old folk tunes,” said Yeh. “And another important feature is that in Chinese folk music performance, each does things in his/her own way, which is not suitable for ensemble in an orchestra.”

Under his vision, the SCO’s repertoire has rapidly expanded. Yeh is credited with initiating and designing successful productions such as “Marco Polo and Princess Blue,” “Zheng He — Admiral of the Seven Seas” and “The Grandeur of Tang.”

“Now we are building ensemble mentality in this 70-person orchestra, which means 70 performers should open their ears to listen to each other during performance to create a harmonious tune,” he said.

Having toured Beijing, Guangzhou, Zhongshan, Macao, London and Budapest, the SCO has become popular in both Asia and Europe. “It’s not only a great opportunity for us to bring the regional music genre to the world, but also to push the Chinese music from margin to mainstream,” Yeh concluded.