The “Chaohu Folk Songs” for Choir: A Creative Research in Music Arranging

Abstract

After finishing my undergraduate studies, I started working in music education in Chaohu, where I engaged in collecting and studying local folk songs through various academic events. This work allowed me to meet important figures in the folk music community and deepened my passion for traditional music. Inspired by my experiences and China's national efforts to protect cultural heritage, I chose to focus my research on Chaohu folk songs, making them the main topic of my thesis by aiming to preserve the Chinese folk song.

Since China's reform and opening, its economy and society have experienced rapid development. However, with the advancements in science and technology, economic development, the influx of Western culture, and the rise of Internet technology, the traditional way of life is disappearing at an accelerating rate. As a result, the development of Chaohu folk songs has encountered increasing challenges and now faces the risk of extinction. The study of the artistic characteristics of Chaohu folk songs and the creation of the traditional Chaohu folk songs are of great significance for the rescue and protection of Chaohu folk songs, which is a key motivation for my research on this cultural tradition.

Chaohu folk songs are a regional musical tradition originating in Chaohu City, Anhui Province, China, and have been officially recognized as part of the nation’s intangible cultural heritage. These songs are deeply rooted in the everyday lives, emotions, and customs of local communities, reflecting both the natural environment and the cultural identity of the region.

To preserve the Chaohu folk songs by compose and arrange the song to choir with Western classic music setting effectively, it is essential to gain a thorough understanding of their melodic structures, rhythmic patterns, core lyrical themes, and performance practices. When this knowledge is integrated with appropriate theories and methods of choral composition, the songs can be shaped into artistic expressions that communicate with a contemporary audience while preserving their authenticity. In my work, I have selected and arranged three representative Chaohu folk songs for choir, blending traditional elements with contemporary harmonic textures. This creative process not only enhances the artistic form of the songs but also advances their preservation, revitalization, and continued development within today’s musical landscape. This research aims to arrange three traditional Chaohu folk songs for choir performance. This initiative seeks to foster the inheritance and development of Chaohu folk music, thereby contributing to its contemporary music landscape. The research procedure involves a brief exploration of the historical context and musical attributes of Chaohu folk songs as well as an analysis of the adapted choral arrangements, with the objective of both conserving and innovating traditional cultural practices.

Emerging from the Western ecclesiastical liturgy, choral music has undergone significant evolution, becoming a musical form widely esteemed for its intricate setting and textures. Considering the rapid expansion of the Chinese economy and its music sector, choral art, particularly the folk song chorus, has emerged as a potent vehicle for the transmission of cultural heritage. In contrast to solo vocal performances, choral singing facilitates broader engagement and more profound emotional articulation. By incorporating Western choral compositional methods, this study seeks to arrange traditional Chaohu folk melodies into novel choral compositions, thereby amplifying their artistic resonance while ensuring the Preservation and dissemination of the folk songs as well as the folk culture.

This research process begins with establishing a comprehensive research methodology, encompassing objective setting, identification of key issues, and target group selection, with a focus on an in-depth investigation into the development and current status of Chaohu folk songs. The researcher analyzed the musical characteristics of three rearranged songs to reflect the connection between traditional roots and modern musical innovation (continuity and innovation). The final stage involves synthesizing knowledge from both the research findings and the creative process to compile a complete academic article and present the full research project to the academic community.

The three adapted choral works are inspired by the beautiful scenery of Chaohu and people's love and praise for their hometown. The purpose of this study is to sort out the development process and evolution rules of Chaohu folk songs, understand the musical characteristics of traditional Chaohu folk songs, and combine Western music creation methods to create three traditional Chaohu folk songs in chorus to inherit and innovate Chaohu folk songs. The choral composition the Chaohu Folk Song demonstrates a more sophisticated music architecture, enhanced harmonic richness, and a broader spectrum of melodic variation, thereby contributing significant referential value to the study and future development of the song composition.