Kangyi Zhang's compositions and flute performances

Kangyi Zhang

A reading of my piece 'Unit 731 - The Museum and the Survivors' by the UCLA Philharmonia

Unit 731 - The Museum and the Survivors (UCLA Philharmonia Reading 05.22.14)

At home and at work, sound cues can abruptly intrude our auditory space to prompt us to immediate specific actions. At a science research facility, these sounds can come from biosafety cabinets, centrifuges, card readers and timers. At home, both roommates and devices such as cell phones, alarms, microwave ovens and door bells, can demand immediate attention too.      
                                                                                                                                                           
In this piece, sequences of events are presented repeatedly to condition the listener. These grouped events usually share some similarity. Sounds of card readers are grouped with sounds of door bells. “Message waiting” calls over the public address system are matched with the ring tone of my phone. The conglomerate of sounds forms a thick texture near the ending to emphasize the diversity of sound timbre in our life cues.


Pavlov's Life Cues

The flutter of the wings of a butterfly can cause a tornado at a different part of the world. Such a phenomenon is known as the butterfly effect. This effect can be seen in two recent news events. While the Ebola virus emerged 40 years ago, there was no incentive to contain it because it was limited to poor African nations. Today, the Ebola crisis has claimed thousands of lives and prompted precautionary measures from governments globally. In the South Korea ferry disaster, the indecision by the captain over evacuation orders resulted in the death of hundreds. 

I demonstrate the butterfly effect in two broad sections – horizontality and verticality. In horizontality, canonic sections are created by in-phase and out-of-phase sound elements. The same gesture is sometimes presented with different note durations. In verticality, notes of various intervals (2nd, 3rd and 4th) are presented by a mass of sound elements when a single element initiates change. A greater juxtaposition of timbres also occurs in this section. 

The Butterfly Effect - Kangyi Zhang

Merit Award 2016 China-ASEAN Music Festival Composition Competition
Kelvin Chan (piano)
UCLA Graduate Composers Concert Fall 2014

Shinozaki Mamoru, a.k.a Singapore’s Schindler, was responsible for saving thousands of Chinese and Eurasians during the occupation. Shinozaki was the advisor to the military administration and subsequently the welfare officer in the civilian administration. His liberal issue of safety passes protected many Chinese people from being killed by the Sook Ching Massacre. 

Shinozaki founded the Overseas Chinese Association such that the Chinese community can officially interact with the Japanese. Shinozaki and the OCA then created the Endau Settlement in Malaya. At this safe haven, the Chinese could survive on their own crops and avoid the food shortage in Singapore. Apart from Shinozaki, no Japanese was allowed in the settlement.

The famous ‘Sakura’ (cherry blossom) melody is used to depict the sinister Japanese colleagues surrounding Shinozaki. Then fragments followed by the full melody of ‘Furusato’ (home) appear. ‘Furusato’ is a good choice to represent Shinozaki because while he saved many Chinese people, he still loved his nation and wished that the war would end sooner. Using ‘Furusato’ together with a famous Chinese melody ‘Jasmine flower’, the piece re-creates memories of the interactions between Shinozaki and the Chinese people. The coda is a call for eternal peace between the Japanese and Chinese people.


Syonanto - 3. Remember Shinozaki Mamoru

This piece was first inspired by a conversation in Denver with my DJ friend Justin Cheasty. He talked about his experiences with Pro Tools and I immediately had an idea about using recordings of contemporary flute techniques. We also started talking about this amazing TED talk given by Hyeon-seo Lee “My Escape from North Korea”. Hyeon-seo Lee talked about her courageous journey of escaping North Korea and subsequently rescuing her parents from the totalitarian regime.

Several motivic ideas are used throughout three sections: “Confinement”, “The Escape”, and “A Poignant Liberation”. Several fragmentary motifs, which appear purposeless and restricted in the beginning, shift into continuous motion in the second section. Finally, the ideas are fully presented in meaningful and melodious themes. “A Poignant Liberation” depicts North Koreans who successfully escaped the regime but are now separated from their loved ones.

Utilizing audio recordings and synthesizers, this piece overcomes major challenges of flute performance. Contemporary flute techniques such as tongue pizzicato and jet whistle are hard to reproduce exactly using synthesizers. These sounds are crucial in representing the exhausted physical and mental state of the subject. On the other hand, synthesizers are utilized for their limitless possibilities.


Crossing the Border - Kangyi Zhang

UCLA Schoenberg Music Building, Jan Popper Theater
25th Feb 2015
Copyright (c) 2015
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Conductor – Young Hae Kim
Flute – Kangyi Zhang
Clarinet - Jiwoo Park 
Oboe - Joey Galasso 
French Horn – Sunghyan Lee 
Violins - Helen Rowe and Stephen Spies
Viola - Edward Ryan 
Cello - Jasmine Lau
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The Liancourt Rocks" was written for a conducting friend, Young Hae Kim, as part of her doctoral degree requirements. The Liancourt Rocks (Dokdo 독도 or Takeshima たけしま) are a group of islets claimed by both Japan and South Korea. The strained ties caused by wartime history has furthered fueled the dispute and elicited impassioned responses from citizens of both countries. 

Two Korean and two Japanese melodies were used in the construction of the piece. Arirang (아리랑), Dokdo Song (독도는 우리땅), Song of the Seashore (浜辺の歌 Hamabe no Uta) and The Sea in Spring (春の海 Haru no Umi). Throughout the entire piece, the themes and melodic fragments are all derived from these four songs.

1. Tranquil waters
Contemporary techniques of various instruments are used to depict wind and bird sounds amidst a serene landscape.

2. Deadly currents and torrential rain
Due to the location and the small size of the islands, the Liancourt Rocks can present unpredictable and harsh weather. Themes and melodic fragments make abrupt entrances and intervallic tension is also employed.

3. Reconciliation (Calm after the Storm)
The Korean and Japanese themes are presented fully for the first time. Both melodies reconcile by forming a counterpoint.

While writing this piece, I was conscious of the seating arrangements of the players and hence the positions of sound production. The constantly changing interaction of the players is the focus of the piece. The french horn has a very special role as an observer and peacekeeper. Musicians 'compete' for dominance in front of the french horn.

I would like to thank Prof Ian Krouse for his guidance throughout the composition process.

The Liancourt Rocks (Dokdo 독도 or Takeshima 竹島 たけしま) by Kangyi Zhang

Carlos Gardels (pianist) Kangyi Zhang (composer)
This is a pre-concert rehearsal recording.
19th May 2015, Schoenberg Hall, UCLA, Los Angeles

Everyone I know remembers the exact thing they were doing when the September 11th attacks occurred. This is a watershed in US history and the stories of my generation. Suddenly, the military might of America becomes powerless when faced with attacks from within. On the 11th September 2001, terrorists simultaneously hijacked four planes and crashed into the World Trade Center, Shanksville Pennsylvania, and the Pentagon, causing a death toll close to 3000.  

2nd movement – The Aftermath
In ‘Lamenting amidst falling ashes’, I recall Ground Zero as being shrouded in ashes while survivors and rescue workers appeared. Away from the city, I also visualize the vast open space at Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where the spirits of the innocents soared up to heaven. 

‘Remembering the heroes’ is a tribute to the 403 firefighters, police officers and Port Authority officers who rushed into the burning towers while everyone was rushing out. Three old American songs – ‘Shenandoah’, ‘Shall We Gather at the River’ and ‘America the Beautiful’ - are now finally presented in a more transparent manner. Listen carefully to the more deeply embedded ‘America, the Beautiful’.

Coincidentally, a day before I finished the piece (15th May ’14), President Obama dedicated the National September 11th Memorial and Museum. I would like to thank Prof Ian Krouse for his guidance in this piece.

Threnody for Victims of Sept 11th - 2. The Aftermath

Boston 3rd July 2015
by Kangyi Zhang (music) and Nicole Tay Liling (text)
Nadine Kulberg (mezzo soprano)
Ivan Tan (pianist)

For once I'm packed the night before
These suitcases could probably take some more
But that isn't the reason I'm leaving
Behind all these boxes of carefully arranged memories
And the flowers drying behind the door 
 
I'm too used to this home and what it means to me
I'm so tired of the sunset, I want a sunrise to see
 
Kiss me goodbye for I can't dance here 
Life moves on and becomes a tear 
Trickling down the cheeks of every face 
So take all these stars and shells I've collected for so long
I'm filling my pockets no longer with fear

~~~~~~~~~~~~
‘Leaving my Old Shell’ speaks of a girl who is both nostalgic about home, yet excited about the uncertain future. This text was written when my friend, Nicole Tay, was leaving Singapore for her studies at Cambridge, UK. A similar theme occurs in ‘Chasm’ where a girl yearns for love after being separated from her lover. Moments of nostalgia and hope resurface amidst her dreadful isolation. 

Several musical ideas are inspired by the text and they can be easily identified. For example, in the first movement, the piano responds with gestures for ‘sunrise’ and ‘trickling down’. The small rising and falling piano gesture after ‘sunrise’ reappears in the second movement to mark the start of the recitative (singing in free time). The piano tremolos after ‘memories’ in the first movement reappears at ‘I wonder’ and ‘roaring night’, the last example being in a much more ominous mood.

I would like to send my heartfelt thanks to Ivan Tan and Nadine Kulberg for this collaboration.

Songs of Separation - 1. Leaving My Old Shell

Boston, 3rd July 2015
by Kangyi Zhang (music) and Nicole Tay Liling (text)
Nadine Kulberg (mezzo soprano) Ivan Tan (pianist)

Good morning my friend 
When did I last see you?
I think it was down by the bridge 
Where broken eyes go to mend
Where we laugh with the fool 

Sometimes I wonder what happened to the games we played
In the smoky air of the roaring night 
Now I wonder - have you learned about
What we spoke of that day?
 
Can you remember when we stood in the crowd
Gazing into the eyes of the singer
Believing the songs were for us
We were none the wiser
 
Good night my friend
When will I next see you?
I hope it will be across the bridge
With no more broken eyes to mend
Where we'll still laugh with the fool.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

‘Leaving my Old Shell’ speaks of a girl who is both nostalgic about home, yet excited about the uncertain future. This text was written when my friend, Nicole Tay, was leaving Singapore for her studies at Cambridge, UK. A similar theme occurs in ‘Chasm’ where a girl yearns for love after being separated from her lover. Moments of nostalgia and hope resurface amidst her dreadful isolation. 

Several musical ideas are inspired by the text and they can be easily identified. For example, in the first movement, the piano responds with gestures for ‘sunrise’ and ‘trickling down’. The small rising and falling piano gesture after ‘sunrise’ reappears in the second movement to mark the start of the recitative (singing in free time). The piano tremolos after ‘memories’ in the first movement reappears at ‘I wonder’ and ‘roaring night’, the last example being in a much more ominous mood.

I would like to send my heartfelt thanks to Ivan Tan and Nadine Kulberg for this collaboration.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copyright (c) 2015
http://www.kangyizhang.com/
http://nadinekulberg.com/

Songs of Separation - 2. Chasm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmcieL_zZ6o

The 3rd Edition of Orient/Occident 2015 Composers Competition
-Special Mention Winner

During WWII, Unit 731 was a covert biological and chemical warfare research unit of the Imperial Japanese Army, located in Harbin, China. Together with affiliated units throughout Asia, these units saw the most horrendous prisoner experiments conducted in a systematic manner.

During the war, ceramic shells with fleas were dropped randomly onto surrounding villages to spread the bubonic plague. After the war, Unit 731 freed thousands of infected rats that caused widespread plague in 22 counties of Heilungchiang and Kirin provinces. This work commemorates the victims and the survivors. This movement is in 3 sections. ‘The survivors overcome grief and loss’ - The first three notes G-D#-C represent Unit 731. Other units which are represented are: 8604 (Guangzhou), 1855 (Beijing), 9420 (Singapore) and 1644 (Nanjing). ‘The survivors  congregate for hope and peace’ - Disparate melodic lines eventually come together with the flute and violin playing in unison. Here, I see the survivors gathering to spread an important unified message to the world. ‘The museum retains fragments of memories for future generations’ - Previous materials return and generate a feeling of everlasting impact.


Unit 731 - The Museum and the Survivors (Trio version) - Kangyi Zhang

Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJWxK-r5d-c

Kangyi Zhang (Composer and Flutist)
26th Feb 2014
Graduate Composers Recital
Jan Popper Theater
Schoenberg Music Building, UCLA

My first inspiration for this piece came after watching 'Failing - A very difficult piece for solo string bass' by Tom Johnson. I have also been deeply enlightened by TED talks by Benjamin Zander and Michael Tilson Thomas. Hence, I thought I should write a piece which would be a young person's guide to the flute.

Section A demonstrates double tonguing on the high register of the flute. You will also hear a common technique called flutter tonguing.

Section B presents a Chinese folk-like melody using the middle register of the flute.

Section C explores the low register of the flute. The speech is directly taken from Al Pacino's inspirational speech in 'Any Given Sunday'.

Section D talks about quarter tones, trills and tremolos, lip and finger glissando. Harmonics occur when you overblow a fundamental note.

Section E explores key clicks, Aeolian (air) sound and tongue pizzicato (beatbox). Two techniques - tongue ram and jet whistle -- are done by tonguing or blowing into the tone hole.

Section F demonstrates the production of multiple sounds at once. You will hear octave multiphonics, distorted multiphonics, fingered multiphonics and singing-while-playing. The words 'Qui, Va, La' are the exact words from a famous piece -- Toru Takemitsu's 'Voice'.

Section G illustrates the versatility of the Western concert flute in playing different genres of music. I personally have been very inspired by the rock flutist Ian Anderson. The Japanese portion is reminiscent of shakuhachi playing. In a trip to Argentina, I was very impressed by the tango culture in Buenos Aires. Hence, I wrote in a style similar to Piazzolla flute masterworks. 


TED Talk - Variations on a Theme by Mozart (Kangyi Zhang)

The Chamber Circle
30th July 2016

Melissa Chan (mezzo soprano)
Kangyi Zhang (flute)
Jenny Cho (piano)

30th July 2016

Une Flûte Invisible (An Invisible Flute) by Camille Saint-Saëns
Text by Victor Hugo

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Une Flûte Invisible (An Invisible Flute) by Camille Saint-Saëns

The Chamber Circle
30th July 2016

Melissa Chan (mezzo soprano)
Kangyi Zhang (flute)
Dominic Wan (guitar)

30th July 2016
Singapore Premiere

Text by Ana Maria Lorandi

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Viaje al país de Alicia - Enzo Gieco (Alice Trip to the Country)

During WWII, Unit 731 was a covert biological and chemical warfare research unit of the Imperial Japanese Army, located in Harbin, China. Together with affiliated units throughout Asia, these units saw the most horrendous prisoner experiments conducted in a systematic manner. 

1. Fear: Walking Through the Gate of Inferno

Under the watchful eyes of the Japanese troops, the prisoners alight from the trains and enter the gates. No one dares to snatch a glimpse at the soldiers. Beginning with the piano and then all instruments, bolts of notes strike through the texture to represent intimidation and the hitting of rifle butts on prisoners. 
Towards the end of the movement, the pianist plucks out a fragment of a melody which will be the opening sounds for the violin in the second movement. The movement ends with the closing of the gate - the sealing of the fate of these prisoners.

2. Pain: Scratches on Walls and Tables

A victim is led from the prison cell to the experiment room. Key clicks and bow flicks mark the point when the victim finally arrives. His heartbeat races as he is being tied onto a table. A knife enters. He screams, writhes in pain and constantly scratches the table with his fingernails.
Chemical weapon tests were done in gas chambers and when the war ended, all the remaining prisoners were gassed. The soldiers (musicians) shout ‘3,2,1’ in Japanese to mark the start of the gassing process. The section ends with the collapse of the victims, marked by a heavy piano chord. The final section depicts the last moments of all these victims. Coughing and blood dripping sounds are heard above the violin melodic fragment which started the movement.

3. Remorse and Sorrow: The Walk Back in Time

My first inspiration for this movement came from Penderecki’s Prelude for clarinet solo. After 60 years, Yoshio Shinozuka returns to the site of his crimes. Against harsh criticism from his peers, he testified the horrific events as the Chinese families sued the Japanese government for compensation. The piece begins with the violin and the flute playing melodies based on two scales which are half-step apart (B and Bb). This half step relationship will serve as a fundamental material for the entire movement.
Later, the piano recalls the same plucking tune heard in the first movement, but with some variation.  As Shinozuka walks the complex, familiar scenes create reflections just like the reverberations of the piano strings caused by the flute and violin.

4. Hope: The Museum and the Survivors

During the war, ceramic shells with fleas were dropped randomly onto surrounding villages to spread the bubonic plague. After the war, Unit 731 released thousands of infected rats that caused widespread plague in 22 counties of Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces. 
This movement is in 3 sections. ‘The survivors overcome grief and loss’ - The first three notes G-D#-C represent Unit 731. Other units which are represented are: 8604 (Guangzhou), 1855 (Beijing), 9420 (Singapore) and 1644 (Nanjing). ‘The survivors congregate for hope and peace’ - Disparate melodic lines eventually come together with the flute and violin playing in unison. Here, I see the survivors gathering to spread an important unified message to the world. ‘The museum retains fragments of memories for future generations’ - Previous materials return and generate a feeling of everlasting impact.



Unit 731 (4 Movements) by Kangyi Zhang

Flute - Kangyi Zhang
Piano - Charles Pattison

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The Sonata in A minor for Arpeggione and Piano, D. 821, was written by Franz Schubert in Vienna in November 1824. This was originally written for the arpeggione (a bowed guitar).  Unfortunately, shortly after the composition was published posthumously in 1871, the instrument fell out of favor. Enthusiasm for the novelty of the arpeggione vanished together with the instrument. The piece was composed in Schubert's final years. Schubert was suffering from the advanced stages of syphilis and lapsing into increasingly frequent episodes of depression. Today, the piece is heard in transcriptions for flute, clarinet, cello, viola, double bass, euphonium and guitar etc. Various transcriptions have addressed issues of instrument ranges.

Schubert, Franz | Arpeggione Sonata, D.821 - 1. Allegro Moderato

Flute - Kangyi Zhang
Viola - Jakin Chang
Piano - Charles Pattison
Soiree 3rd Dec 2016
Chamber Circle (Singapore)

More about the composer Conner VanderBeek
http://soundcloud.com/sirvanderbeek
http://www.csvanderbeek.com/

Conner Singh VanderBeek is a Punjabi-American composer, pianist, and ethnomusicologist. His music deals with narratives of everyday life: love and loss, depression, displacement, and cultural identity. VanderBeek holds undergraduate degrees in music and South Asian studies from Northwestern University and is currently in the PhD program in ethnomusicology at the University of Michigan, where he studies popular media of the Sikh diaspora and how it tells the future of the culture.

Composed in 2011 and revised in 2016, "Heartbeat" re-visits the emotions involved in love and relationships. Conner takes you through happiness & sadness, reunion and desolation. This piece tells a light, simple love story of two persons with an ambiguous ending. Listen carefully for the distinctive "heartbeat" pulsating figure, evident in the piano.

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Conner VanderBeek - HeartBeat (flute, viola, piano)

Trombone Concerto "Let Freedom Ring!" by Kangyi Zhang
Wes Lebo (trombone)
NAFA Wind Orchestra conducted by Joost Flaach
16th March 2017 "Escape" concert recording

2nd: https://soundcloud.com/kangyi-zhang/trombone-concerto-2-remembering-birmingham-1963
3rd: https://soundcloud.com/kangyi-zhang/trombone-concerto-3-i-have-a-dream

The conception of this piece coincided with the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964. While I was writing this work, the news media was dominated by nation-wide protests inspired by racial injustice involving Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Eric Garner and others. In late Dec 2015, “Black Lives Matter” protestors made the news after several incidents with the police at airports and highways. The struggle for racial equality is ongoing and an ever-pertinent issue.

Familiar themes form the bedrock of this work, ‘We Shall Overcome’, ‘We Shall Not Be Moved’, ‘Oh Freedom!’, ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’, and ‘Go Tell It on the Mountain’. Throughout the work, the trombonist takes on multiple roles: a narrator, Rosa Parks, an eyewitness, a protestor and Martin Luther King. 

1.	Rosa Parks and the Freedom Riders
The narrator sets up the scene back to 1955 and introduces Rosa Parks, a quiet elegant lady going home on a routine bus ride. Several white passengers boarded the bus, as marked by the entry of saxophones and drums. By orders of the driver, three black passengers (trombone, euphonium and horn) gave up their seats. The driver (trumpets) confronted Rosa but she refused to move. A loud tutti with the distinctive whistle marks her arrest. Next, moved by Rosa’s actions, people gradually united in the successful Montgomery bus boycott.

The freedom riders set off on their perilous journey. The riders and supporters are represented by F# major key while the white supremacists are represented by f# minor. The Greyhound bus became crippled due to slashed tires and was stopped and firebombed. Next, the Trailways bus arrived in Birmingham and the riders were beaten up. The trombone cadenza juxtaposes peacefulness with anger to express the sentiments of the victims who believe in non-violence. Seven strokes mark the black riders while the six stronger strokes mark the white riders who received more severe beatings.

Trombone Concerto - 1. Rosa Parks and the Freedom Riders

Trombone Concerto "Let Freedom Ring!" by Kangyi Zhang
Wes Lebo (trombone)
NAFA Wind Orchestra conducted by Joost Flaach
16th March 2017 "Escape" concert recording

1st: https://soundcloud.com/kangyi-zhang/trombone-concerto-1-rosa-parks-and-the-freedom-riders
3rd: https://soundcloud.com/kangyi-zhang/trombone-concerto-3-i-have-a-dream

The conception of this piece coincided with the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964. While I was writing this work, the news media was dominated by nation-wide protests inspired by racial injustice involving Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Eric Garner and others. In late Dec 2015, “Black Lives Matter” protestors made the news after several incidents with the police at airports and highways. The struggle for racial equality is ongoing and an ever-pertinent issue.

Familiar themes form the bedrock of this work, ‘We Shall Overcome’, ‘We Shall Not Be Moved’, ‘Oh Freedom!’, ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’, and ‘Go Tell It on the Mountain’. Throughout the work, the trombonist takes on multiple roles: a narrator, Rosa Parks, an eyewitness, a protestor and Martin Luther King.

1st movement: https://soundcloud.com/kangyi-zhang/trombone-concerto-1-rosa-parks-and-the-freedom-riders

2.	Remembering Birmingham 1963
After the events in the first movement, an eyewitness (solo trombone) cries for freedom. The solemn “Oh Freedom!” is used in this beautiful lament. Next, a protestor depicts the cataclysmic events of the protests in Birmingham. The violent orchestral strokes represent the brutality from police and white supremacists. Fragments from “Go tell it on the Mountain”, “Oh Freedom” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing” are used to generate the motoric trombone line and orchestral responses. The chaos culminates in a grand chorus rendition. Lastly, a peaceful coda symbolizes the first signs of freedom. The trials and tribulations of the protestors have not been in vain.

Trombone Concerto - 2. Remembering Birmingham 1963

Trombone Concerto "Let Freedom Ring!" by Kangyi Zhang
Wes Lebo (trombone)
NAFA Wind Orchestra conducted by Joost Flaach
16th March 2017 "Escape" Concert recording

1st: https://soundcloud.com/kangyi-zhang/trombone-concerto-1-rosa-parks-and-the-freedom-riders
2nd: https://soundcloud.com/kangyi-zhang/trombone-concerto-2-remembering-birmingham-1963

The conception of this piece coincided with the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964. While I was writing this work, the news media was dominated by nation-wide protests inspired by racial injustice involving Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Eric Garner and others. In late Dec 2015, “Black Lives Matter” protestors made the news after several incidents with the police at airports and highways. The struggle for racial equality is ongoing and an ever-pertinent issue.

Familiar themes form the bedrock of this work, ‘We Shall Overcome’, ‘We Shall Not Be Moved’, ‘Oh Freedom!’, ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’, and ‘Go Tell It on the Mountain’. Throughout the work, the trombonist takes on multiple roles: a narrator, Rosa Parks, an eyewitness, a protestor and Martin Luther King. 

3.	I Have a Dream
The inspiring scene at “I Have a Dream” speech by Martin Luther King, Jr is recreated here. The trombone is the most appropriate instrument to imitate speech due to the ease of doing glissandos and microtones. From various excerpts of King’s speech, I was able to derive tones and rhythm to form motifs. The soloist galvanizes the orchestra with phrases such as “Justice flows down like waters”, “I still have a dream”, “This nation will rise up” and “Let freedom ring”. The famous tune “Go, Tell it on the Mountain” also forms the bedrock of this movement. The melody is first presented distinctly to celebrate the beauty of the human spirit in this arduous struggle. Later in the piece, the soloist cries “Free at last, Free at last” and “Thank God almighty” before the climactic tutti. The tutti melody is a hybrid of “Go” and “Oh Freedom”. The coda section reminds us that the struggle for racial equality continues today. The piece ends with the phrase “We shall overcome” prominently stated by the soloist and orchestra.

Trombone Concerto - 3. I Have a Dream

Moritz Ernst (pianist)
Kangyi Zhang (composer)
http://www.youtube.com/kangyiflute
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17th August 2017, 7.30pm
Composers Society of Singapore 10th Anniversary Concert
Lee Foundation Theatre, Singapore
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Listen to the starting of the engines. The vehicles begin on a rocky journey before reaching the fatal destination. Listen to the machine gunfire in the distance.

'Syonanto' was the name given to Singapore during the Japanese occupation in WWII.
The Japanese was most suspicious of the Chinese population in Singapore because many had provided assistance to China during the Sino-Japanese war. The Sook Ching Massacre (18th Feb – 4th March 1942) then became the solution – a systematic extermination of suspected anti-Japanese elements. All Chinese men between 18 and 50 were ‘screened’ by hooded informants. Whether a subject survived depended on the whim and fancy of the ‘informants’ and Japanese soldiers. Survivors were stamped on their arms and received a certificate. Those consigned to death were loaded onto trucks and brought to remote locations such as Changi beach and Punggol beach. They were subsequently gunned down by machine guns.

Syonanto - 2. The Sook Ching Massacre (excerpt)

Kangyi has performed on various stages in Singapore, Malaysia and the United States. As a composer, his music are often programmatic and based on personal life and experiences. He also aims to raise public awareness on important historical events. 

Music Scores: http://kangyimusic.storenvy.com
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Music Services: http://www.kangyizhang.com/freelance.html
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