Ting Song《聽松》– Huan Yan-jun (1890-1950), Arr. Lan Tung (2004)
－ erhu with choir (SMA or SATB), zheng & percussion
During the Song Dynasty (960AD -1279AD) there were many wars between the Han in central China and the invading northern Jin (Jurchen). One account from this period describes a battle where the forces of Yue Fei, the famous Song general,routed the Jin army, which then fled in panic to the foot of a mountain. There the Jin waited anxiously, listening to the sound of the approaching Song troops by putting their ears to stones known as pine stones. This piece was inspired by that event. Hua Yan-Jun, also know as A Bing, was a wandering blind folk musician who left a rich legacy of compositions that have become “classics” in Chinese music. This new arrangement uses the choir in an orchestral manner to both support and contrast the solo erhu.