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Post by Charlie Huang on Apr 18, 2007 11:12:10 GMT
New info!
LXT will not be doing this year's SS, it will be Prof Zeng Chengwei. Pipa is not running for reasons that I have not been informed on. That means only guqin and erhu (most likely to be its success last year) will be on (no ensemble class).
Booking is now open.
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Post by Charlie Huang on Aug 6, 2007 19:51:40 GMT
I will do the write up on this page.
Chinese Music Summer School 2007
[31st July]
After arriving the previous day, registration began at 9:20. I arrived early (as always) and began to check out the place. I met Julian at the Indian YMCA where we were staying on my way to breakfast but I decided to head off to the RAM since it is about 15 mins walk unlike the previous year coz Marylebone Hall is closed for refurbishment would you believe it...
Slightly different this year in that we start later than the Indian SS. The Japanese proper one starts later even. They wanted the last day to be when all the participant's concerts are to be held.
After unloading my qin at the good ol' room G46, I began to wander about the place, meeting Ginger et al. I managed to Joshua Wickerham as well as Jim Binkley. We all ended up back at the qin room and that was wear the welcome was going to be held. It was gonna be held at the David Whatshisface Hall but it had been double booked! Ho hum...
This year, dizi was axed and pipa was in hiatus leaving guqin and erhu. No ensemble classes to worry about then... That meant there wasn't really much 'extra-curricula' activities to join. Oh well...
We had around 12 participant's this year, which is up from last year. Zeng Chengwei has returned to teach us, much to my pleasure. He is a very good teacher IMHO. The three beginners were placed to the front of the class to receive preliminary instruction from him whilst the rest of us prepare and practice pieces. The structure was essentially the same as two years back, 15 - 20 mins face-to-face tuition each.
For lunch, this year is different in that the AMC offers an Indian lunch should you choose to pay for it. Everyone seems to have except for me (not much of a fan of Indian food...). So, no group trip to Marylebone High Street this year. I had to go by myself!
After workshop 2, it was tea break before the 'Short Demo from Taiko Course'. He also began to repair the lacquer on some qins whilst people watched. At this point, I had to run all the way back to my hotel to get into my Hanfu for the yaji. You should have guessed that I completely missed the Taiko... tsk!
The yaji was held, in Dannong's words, 'in examination conditions'. Because ZCW gave two talks two years ago (one on Shu school style qin and one on guqin making) so there was nothing much to talk about. Everyone took turns to play a piece and it was over before you know it.
After the group photo, some of us (including me and the Prof) decided to go to dinner. Six of us when to the Phoenix place like last year. Big mistake, coz we ordered a set meal that wasn't really good and the bill came to £170 (or £36 per person)!!! Good Lordi, too expensive.
Dissatisfied with the quick yaji, Cheng Yu et al. decided to hold a 'secret yaji' at Chinwee's place on Friday.
[1st August]
There was nothing special this day. We did see the fruits of ZCW's labouring over the qin lacquer. Apparently, the lacquer was reluctant to cure because the English climate wasn't humid enough! He had to re do some of them and put a damp cloth over them to help them cure overnight. He said that in ideal conditions, the lacquer should dry in three hours! We all took some tips from him, especially Jim Binkley.
The highlight was the seminar where ZCW and Hu Bin gave a pre-concert talk about the pieces they were going to play tomorrow night. The 'official' translator de facto was our own Joshua Wickerham-sama.
For tonight's dinner, Dannong took us to a Malaysian place. Food was good and, thankfully, cheap.
[2nd August]
There were two workshops plus a 6 hour gap between the end of lessons and the concert.
We all 'messed around' and practiced. Me and Josh was at the classroom practicing and dueting before we was joined by Julian. We then had a 'teeny yaji' of playing bits of music and improvising on the qin whilst some of us rested and laid down for a nap.
Afterwards, me and Josh went for a walk in Regent's Park.
At the concert, Hu Bin perfromed four pieces and ZCW performed about five pieces:
ZCW 1. Zhuiyu Changwan 2. Liu Shui 3. Shenren Chang 4. Kongzi Du Yi 5. Aoai
---interval---
HB 1. Xinghong Bie 2. Lan Huahua 3. Jianghe Shui {encore} Sai Ma
After that, all us Cantonese ones went back to Dannong's Malay place for dinner.
[3rd August]
Today was group photo day as well as the day of the 'secret yaji'.
After the last workshop was over, we went to Dannong's and Chinwee's cars and were whisked off to Hammersmith. At Chinwee's pad, food was laid in the garden and we had some snacks and drinks before dinner. I took my Hanfu along on Dan's and Chinwee's requests and wore them. Dinner was served and we all ate and chatted about qin and qin making. ZCW inspected Dan's antique qin and thought it was good.
As dusk drew in we finished dinner then receeded into Chinwee's chambers. Some good traditional furniature and a qin table awaited us. After preparation, each of us began playing Chinwee's Ma Weiheng qin starting with ZCW who played about three pieces. Unfortunately, ZCW had to be back at the RAM by a certain time as Ginger was waiting for him. Not all of us played but it was more satisfying than the last one at the RAM.
[4th August]
Last day and it went oh so quickly. After the last workshop, ZCW 'graduated' us all. Then it was the participant's concert which took over two hours.
After that, lunch, followed by the 10 year anniversary party in the canteen where most of us stayed until 4 or 5. After saying our goodbyes, we all went our separate ways. Awww.
THE END
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Post by davidmdahl on Aug 6, 2007 23:37:50 GMT
Thanks for the blow-by-blow, Charlie. That was fun to read. There is no such opportunity that I know of on this side of the pond for Chinese music or Vietnamese music. Of course, I got a pretty good fix of the latter doing our programs in Seattle and Portland. Still, it would be fun to learn in a less stressful situation like a workshop or summer school.
I hope to lunch with Jim Binkley in the near future when he returns to Portland, and recovers from his trip. Maybe he will share his perspective of the summer school.
Best wishes,
David
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Post by Charlie Huang on Aug 8, 2007 19:53:53 GMT
It's a bit short than last year's write up. Mainly to do with there not being much happening this year.
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Post by Si on Aug 16, 2007 8:31:53 GMT
What piece did you learn?
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Post by Charlie Huang on Aug 16, 2007 15:34:10 GMT
i didn't 'learn' a piece per se. i already learnt qiu shui from his printed scores from two years back about a year ago and he basically corrected any mistakes. we also reviewed kongzi du yi which i learnt two years ago from him and just began to learn guguan yu shen on the day before last so no time to 'learn' it per se (i actually am familiar with this piece after dapuing it from the xilu tang a while back but forgot most of it).
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Post by wanggx on Sept 6, 2007 13:27:47 GMT
Hi! Does anyone know more about Hu Bin? I only know that she was from Xi an Conservatory of Music. Are there any more info on her?
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Post by Charlie Huang on Sept 6, 2007 17:26:23 GMT
Err, there are bits and pieces here and there but I can't be bothered to look for them at this point in time I'm afraid!
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Post by sanmenxia on Sept 7, 2007 22:31:45 GMT
www.ukchinesemusic.com/Musicians.htmlI gather that she's not a full-time musician in the UK, so perhaps there's not much info out there. I have audio files of her summer school concert, she's an amazing erhu player!
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Post by sanmenxia on Sept 7, 2007 22:34:22 GMT
If anyone's interested I also have Zeng Chengwei's concert as well.
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Post by Charlie Huang on Sept 8, 2007 9:28:29 GMT
I already have audio via Tung who recorded much of the summer school materials.
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Post by Charlie Huang on Dec 27, 2007 12:57:06 GMT
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Post by Charlie Huang on Jan 10, 2008 16:05:21 GMT
The next summer school is going to be from 30th July to 3rd August 2008.
Guqin: Zeng Chengwei Pipa: Cheng Yu Erhu: Hu Bin
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Post by Si on Jan 11, 2008 15:38:28 GMT
Seems ZCW is the regular teacher now. Does anyone know if he is a da puist?
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Post by Charlie Huang on Jan 12, 2008 11:03:39 GMT
He does dapu, but only rarely, I think. Compared to Gu Meigeng, he's more focused on Shu style pieces and a few others.
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Post by Charlie Huang on Jan 12, 2008 11:06:33 GMT
Also, since he seems to be the de facto visiting qin master in Britian, he should be incepted as consultant jure dignitatis of the YLQS come July.
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AJ
Novice
Posts: 1
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Post by AJ on Jan 20, 2008 21:42:17 GMT
Hi everyone, I'm new here. I was at the summer school last year, in the erhu class, and I really enjoyed it. That was my first week of erhu lesson's. Prior to that I'd been attempting to teach myself (I'm also attempting to teach myself dizi). I'm still making slow progress as I don't have a teacher, so I can't wait until this years summer school. Charlie, it's been great reading your accounts of the previous summer schools.
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Post by Charlie Huang on Jan 21, 2008 10:25:03 GMT
There were dizi classes in previous years, but the AMC unfortunately cut them due to low attendance! The ensemble classes will not be the same without them IMHO (that's if there will be ensemble classes)... The ensemble was at its height in 2005 and has dwinded to nothing last year. No dizi is a blow.
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Post by Charlie Huang on Apr 9, 2008 16:08:03 GMT
Booking is now open.
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Post by sanmenxia on Jul 23, 2008 14:33:06 GMT
I've just found out the erhu class has been cancelled due to lack of participants! And the annoying thing is it is still listed on their website. www.amc.org.uk/summer_schools/2008/courses.htmI don't know about the pipa and guqin classes though.
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Post by Charlie Huang on Aug 7, 2008 20:24:09 GMT
Pardon the lateness of my post as I now only come here not often (all the guqin action is to be had on facebook).
Yes, the erhu got cancelled. Turns out, only one person bothered to register! When I was at the concert, I met two of last year's participants and questioned them about it. I found out that one left it to the last minute as he thought the class would be booked and running. The other said that if she had known, she would have booked as well and the erhu class would have been saved. I told them that if they are planning to attend next year, they should send a message to the AMC registering their intent to participate so they at least would know that x amount of people will come. I told them that they should not let the erhu die like the dizi and they should fight for its survival.
As for the pipa, only two came this year. Cheng Yu asked me to register for the pipa as well as the qin next year as she feared she might get the chop if numbers are low! The guqin is fairly safe (9 attended) and I doubt it will die since we are strong in numbers.
I urge any forumites here that are interested in either pipa or erhu to save your pounds/dollars and come to next year's SS as there is a danger of pipa and erhu dying a horrible death like dizi did. We really need your help to stay afloat! You have one year so plenty if time and you can have it as part of a holiday in the UK.
Next year we will be at Kingston University in Surrey (near London). The RAM is getting expensive after all these cuts.
I would do a write up in due course.
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Post by Charlie Huang on Apr 10, 2009 13:07:06 GMT
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Post by Charlie Huang on Jul 14, 2009 20:25:45 GMT
Please note that the yaji will be on the 29th July at Kingston Uni.
The concert is on the 26th at the Purcell Room, South Bank Centre, 1930.
Please come by if you're in the area.
Details are on the AMC website as usual.
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