Polyphonic Folk Songs
01 · Historical Records
The Qiaoqi multi-part folk song is current in the Qiaoqi Tibetan township of Baoxing county, Sichuan, and its formation is inseparable from the religious activity, productive labour and festival song and dance of the local Tibetans. Such traditional religious activities as “carrying the bodhisattva” (the scripture-turning assembly) are said to have a history of nearly two thousand years, and the multi-part choral singing gradually took shape in this process and has been carried on from generation to generation.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Qiaoqi township in Baoxing county, Ya'an city, Sichuan, may be called a township of song and dance, with a long tradition of folk art. The Qiaoqi multi-part folk song occupies a conspicuous place in Qiaoqi song and dance by its distinctive style, strong religious colour and grand momentum. The first kind is the multi-part chorus of the “carrying the bodhisattva” rite. The traditional Qiaoqi religious activity of “carrying the bodhisattva” (the scripture-turning assembly) is held on the seventeenth day of the first lunar month and has a history of nearly two thousand years. Four men carry the image of Maitreya out of the scripture hall on a palanquin, and thousands of Tibetans follow behind it singing without cease all the way; in the course of this the parts are continually superimposed, gradually forming a vast two-part, three-part and even multi-part singing of tremendous momentum and spectacular scene. The “carrying the bodhisattva” multi-part chorus is throughout in free metre, the parts appearing one after another on the same fundamental tone and freely improvised, though occasionally there also appears a unified rhythm and a “canon”-like progression. The second kind is the multi-part chorus of the Buddhist rite. When the Qiaoqi Tibetans conduct a funeral they invite lamas to perform a rite to deliver the soul of the dead; at the ceremony the guests who come at the invitation or on hearing the news gather and sit on the ground in a fairly large room, several dozen at the least and more than a hundred at the most, the lamas leading the chanting of the scriptures and the many joining in, forming a mixed chorus of one leading and many answering, whose solemn and dignified atmosphere and deep, rich chanting have a very strong emotional appeal. The third kind is the multi-part chorus of “threshing wheat”. At harvest time, as the Tibetans thresh the wheat in coordinated movement, songs and work chanteys interweave, and the atmosphere is very warm; the women sweeping nearby also join in from time to time, and in this way the multi-part chorus of “threshing wheat” is formed. In this chorus the male and female parts are superimposed in tonality and the relation of parts is relatively simple. The fourth kind is the multi-part chorus in the guozhuang dance. The guozhuang is extremely prevalent in Qiaoqi; its tune proceeds mainly in a single part, but the prelude and the opening section also contain a small amount of multi-part music.
The Multi-Part Chorus of the “Carrying the Bodhisattva” Rite
At the scripture-turning assembly held on the seventeenth of the first lunar month, thousands of Tibetans follow the image of Maitreya singing all the way, the parts continually superimposing to form a vast multi-part singing.
The Multi-Part Chorus of the Buddhist Rite
At funerals lamas are invited to perform a rite to deliver the soul of the dead, the lamas leading the chanting of the scriptures and the many joining in, forming a mixed chorus of one leading and many answering.
The Multi-Part Chorus of “Threshing Wheat”
At harvest, as the Tibetans thresh the wheat in coordinated movement, songs and work chanteys interweave, and the women sweeping nearby join in from time to time.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
By singing occasion the Qiaoqi multi-part folk song may be divided into four kinds. It has become an important part of the spiritual life of the local Tibetans, who melt their beliefs, longings, joys and sorrows into the mysterious and otherworldly music and the simple ancient dance.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Hanizuduoshengbu Folk Songs · Polyphonic Folk Songs · Polyphonic Folk Songs · Polyphonic Folk Songs · Polyphonic Folk Songs · Polyphonic Folk Songs · Polyphonic Folk Songs · Polyphonic Folk Songs · Polyphonic Folk Songs.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
In this sense the Qiaoqi multi-part folk song provides precious material for the study of Tibetan culture. With changes in the mode of social production and the disappearance of traditional customs, the Qiaoqi multi-part folk song faces the danger of dying out and awaits urgent rescue.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Che Ge 02-0258
- Chen Xiniang 02-0259
- Manglai 03-0829
- Wen Guiyuan 03-0830
- Lang Jiamu 03-0831
- Suyilatu 05-2052
- Fang Shaobao 05-2053
- Mo Huamei
- Ou Yumei
- Jiancheya
- Zeyingjun
- Yang Kaiyuan
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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