Classical Chinese Gardens

[ChineseGardenScene]

Please advise (particularly Feng Qiu Huang) if you have ever played the qugin; or other traditional Chinese musical instrument e.g eruh - @ any Chinese Gardens in the Western World ?
If you have not; would you like to?

[davidmdahl]

I have played erhu and duxianqin at the Portland Classical Chinese Garden.

www.portlandchinesegarden.org/

Best wishes,

David

[charliecharlieecho]

I'm not sure there are any public Chinese gardens in the UK or even private ones where we'd be welcome to play.

[davidmdahl]

Two of the times I have played at the Portland garden were for weddings. Other times were for cultural events. Apparently we are welcome back any time even if just for practicing.

If you have Chinese gardens in your area, it would not hurt to ask if they would like music. It might help if you can supply a CD or DVD of your music. I would think that music would be a good draw to the garden.

Best wishes,

David

[ChineseGardenScene]

Nice to hear that David - I never got down to the Portland Garden last year whilst @ Vancouver, BC one, however am in touch with them & agree with your comments re welcoming musical performances, be they just jamming or for a special event - CD with contact in advance, a great idea and they will likely play same as background in gift shops etc, if you permit, also.

Charle - the only one I am aware of in the UK is the Chinese garden at Biddulph in Staffordshire ; there is one in Berlin, Germany called the 'Garden of the Reclaimed Moon' ( I am in touch with both) also one in Zurich, Switzerland - cannot get a response from there yet.
The ones that are council controlled take some time to get through to right people.
jj

[Si]

i cant imagine being stopped playing in a garden, its like busking but more natural and cultural. Even in Singapore where u need a permit to busk, i cant see they would turf a qin player out - suana player yes of course, but not a qin player...

[charliecharlieecho]

treesnpots said:

Charle - the only one I am aware of in the UK is the Chinese garden at Biddulph in Staffordshire
jj

Unfortunately Staffordshire is a bit remote for most of us Charlie Huang lives nearst to Biddulph but it's still 50 miles and judging by the map there's unlikely to be a convenient train.

Maybe when Syburn comes back he can set a Chinese garden up for us?

[Si]

wehn i get better i want to play out doors but the pain of trying to find a suitable surface (table) makes it a problem.

[kyokuhon]

Hi, all.

I have often thought of playing in a Chinese garden, but so far have only gotten enough ambition to play guqin in some "regular" gardens. I think there's a Chinese style garden at a nearby college, but I haven't gotten over there yet. I'm talking about informal performances, not scheduled ones.

I have on occasion, though, tried playing shakuhachi or xiao in the woods by a stream; very romantic to think about, but not so good to do. You can't hear yourself over the sound of the brook, it's hard to get comfortable on the tree roots, and then there are the bugs.

I have played lute and qin in the gardens here at the college where I work, and nobody objected. I wish I had time to do it more. Though, if I did, maybe they'd start chasing me out!

Here in Massachusetts, USA, I believe that public music is covered by city or town law in public spaces, and of course by the owner in the case of private land. In my city of Northampton you technically need a permit to perform in public, but they only enforce it in the business district, and, it seems, in the park only if you're trying to collect money.

Best, and keep playing.
K.

[davidmdahl]

Some of my most enjoyable "music in nature" experiences were on a boat in British Columbia and Alaska about 20 years ago. Traveling up the Inside Passage, we would moor in small coves and harbors at night. Often I would play around on my flute and listen to the echo off of the trees on the shore. It was like playing with a digital delay.

I played flute at a wedding about ten years ago at the foot of Multnomah Falls just east of Portland, Oregon. No one heard much of anything from me. Still, I got paid. <g>

At the Portland Chinese Garden, they graciously turned off the waterfall for at least one of the weddings we played. I usually have more trouble with wind than bugs.

Best wishes,

David

[Si]

Here in Massachusetts, USA, I believe that public music is covered by city or town law in public spaces, and of course by the owner in the case of private land.

I though America was a bastion of freedom! Please dont Hum, Whistle or Sing, you my end up in Guang Tang Ah Mo!

[davidmdahl]

syburn said:

I though America was a bastion of freedom! Please dont Hum, Whistle or Sing, you my end up in Guang Tang Ah Mo!

In practice, freedoms are tempered by the public interest. We are not free to cut each other's heads off, for example. With regard to music, no one cares about our caterwauling in the privacy of our own home except for the cat and maybe the neighbor if we are really that loud. In a public area, there might be considered a public interest in preventing musicians with poor skill and judgement from disturbing the peace or disrupting traffic.

I enjoy street musicians and don't remember ever being annoyed by one. I think that they add to the charm of a city.

Best wishes,

David

[ChineseGardenScene]

Please take time to visit a comprehensive Chinese gardens web site, which accomodates traditional Chinese music, that is relevant to such.

chinesegardenscene.com

yes, it is also the web site of yours truly

John @ treesnpots &
@ Chinese Penjing Artists Association of Australasia.

[charliecharlieecho]

Nov 21, 2007 21:02:13 GMT ChineseGardenScene said:

The only one I am aware of in the UK is the Chinese garden at Biddulph in Staffordshire.
jj

This garden is part of the Biddulph Grange Gardens belonging to the National Trust. Googling will get you there in mind, but for the rest of the qin players in the UK it's a bit off the beaten track.

[charliecharlieecho]

I've put some photographs of the Biddulph Grange Chinese Garden and a short note about it on my facebook page.

[ChineseGardenScene]

Hi Friends,

I know it has been a wee while since my last posting; yet if I can be forgiven this time lapse - Please check on the web for Chinesegardenscene.com and You will find that the Chinese Music Forum has now been LINKED through to this New Chinese gardens & penjing Web site.
Enjoy. jj

[edcat7]

I think it would be novel if a couple of us British lot were to play by the pagoda in Kew Gardens.

[Charlie Huang]

Nov 14, 2011 17:47:01 GMT edcat7 said:

I think it would be novel if a couple of us British lot were to play by the pagoda in Kew Gardens.

Maybe one day the LYQS would do that. We're rather busy at the moment.