“From the Legend of Phra That Doi Suthep to the Eternal Faith,” Contemporary Sets of Music for a Mixed Classical Ensemble Combining Western and Lanna Instruments

Abstract

This article is part of the research project entitled “From the Legend of Phra That Doi Suthep to the Eternal Faith,” Contemporary Sets of Music for a Mixed Classical Ensemble Combining Western and Lanna Instruments, funded by the Contemporary Art Development and Promotion Grant, Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, Ministry of Culture, fiscal year 2565. The purpose of the research was to compose a contemporary creative musical work inspired by Phra That Doi Suthep and to convey its narrative through the roles of performers and instruments within the ensemble. The ensemble is organized into three main parts. First, the narrator communicates the text to the audience, with the spoken narration conceived as a form of storytelling. Second, the Western instruments, violin, viola, cello, double bass, and piano, to create musical atmosphere and emotional character in relation to each situation. Third, the Lanna instruments, including sueng, salor, khlui, Lanna drums, swa or Lanna cymbals, and other percussion instruments, serve as imaginative sound support whenever the music refers specifically to the Lanna region.

The research process was divided into eleven stages: (1) studying information and contemporary creative musical works used as sources of inspiration; (2) examining, in brief, the potential and performance techniques of the selected musical instruments; (3) composing the creative musical work; (4) testing the performance of the composition and refining it toward completion; (5) preparing the musical notation; (6) developing performance and conducting guidelines; (7) preparing an academic program booklet; (8) rehearsing the mixed classical ensemble combining Western and Lanna instruments; (9) recording audio and moving images; (10) organizing an academic seminar; and (11) presenting the musical work to the public.

The research outcome is a newly composed piece of programmatic music, shaped by the composer’s intention to narrate the Buddhist faith of the Lanna people through musical imagination. It was created for audiences in Thailand and abroad, allowing listeners to follow the story through sound, atmosphere, and expressive musical description. At the same time, the composition presents Thailand’s cultural strengths through an artistic medium and reinforces the cultural identity embedded in the selected Lanna narrative materials without separating artistic interpretation from cultural meaning. This focus enables the musical narrative to connect historical memory, religious belief, and local identity within a contemporary mode of artistic expression. The work consists of five movements: (1) The Legend of Phra That Doi Suthep, (2) Kruba Chao Srivichai, the Saint of Lanna, (3) The Unity of Buddhists in Nopburi Si Nakhon Ping Chiang Mai, (4) The Enchanting Sacredness of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, and (5) Eternal Faith.

“From the Legend of Phra That Doi Suthep to the Eternal Faith,” Contemporary Sets of Music for a Mixed Classical Ensemble Combining Western and Lanna Instruments was first presented to the public on 29 August 2023 at the CRK Recital Hall, College of Music, Payap University, Mueang District, Chiang Mai Province. An academic program booklet was distributed to the audience, and their feedback on the performance event was collected through a questionnaire. The results showed that the audience’s overall satisfaction with the performance was at the highest level (Mean = 4.78, S.D. = 0.43). Among the individual items, the highest mean score was for the knowledge gained from the musical performance activity and the program booklet (Mean = 4.84). This was followed by willingness to attend similar musical performances whenever opportunities arise (Mean = 4.83), satisfaction with the organization of the performance event (Mean = 4.79), the overall organization of the event (Mean = 4.74), and willingness to recommend or invite others to attend similar performances (Mean = 4.71), respectively.

Beyond presenting the musical work produced through this research, the researchers also aimed to convey the interaction between existing local cultural elements and influences received from outside the region. Through this interaction, the piece reflects a contemporary creative musical culture informed by the concept of cross-cultural music. This idea rests on the belief that musical art brings aesthetic experience into human life through the cultural dimensions of society. The researchers therefore expect the creative work to contribute to cultural capital that may be developed further in economic terms and promoted as a form of cultural influence. In this regard, the composition seeks to support wider recognition of Thai musical art at both national and international levels.