SEOUL, South Korea—It is early morning, approximately 200 people fill the small courtyard of an ancient wood and stone palace. Surrounded by intricately carved wood and ornate paintwork they listen to a troupe of classical musicians perform the final in a series of autumn concerts.
With the addition of seating mats and a few canvas shelters in case of rain, a small courtyard in the 500 year-old Changgyeong Palace serves as a temporary concert hall. Retired couples and young families alike sit silently, captivated by the ancient melodies played by some of the best traditional musicians and performers in Korea.
“We think it’s really important to hold these traditional performances in the same place in which they were held in the past,” said Song Hye-jin, MC and professor of traditional culture and arts at Sook-Myung Women’s University. “We’re holding it in the early morning because the peacefulness at this time of the day really compliments the feeling of the traditional music.”
The musicians are all dressed in period costume and the orchestra is composed entirely of traditional Korean instruments; there are no microphones or electric lights. The wooden porch of the courtyard is the stage, and the centuries old palace, the backdrop.
“We can see the instruments and also we can see the musicians dressed up in traditional costumes,” said university student Kim Hwa-yeon, “I feel like I visited the past to see this performance.”
The program lasts less than an hour, yet epitomizes Korean classical music and dance. The performances include arias performed by male and female singers, court dancing, a duet of bamboo flutes (called Danso and Saenghwang), and orchestral pieces by an ensemble of sophisticated string instruments and pipes.
The “Morning in Changgyeonggung” concerts are organized by the National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts and have been held on Saturday mornings in autumn since 2008. This event on Oct. 2 was the last for 2010.
With the addition of seating mats and a few canvas shelters in case of rain, a small courtyard in the 500 year-old Changgyeong Palace serves as a temporary concert hall. Retired couples and young families alike sit silently, captivated by the ancient melodies played by some of the best traditional musicians and performers in Korea.
“We think it’s really important to hold these traditional performances in the same place in which they were held in the past,” said Song Hye-jin, MC and professor of traditional culture and arts at Sook-Myung Women’s University. “We’re holding it in the early morning because the peacefulness at this time of the day really compliments the feeling of the traditional music.”
The musicians are all dressed in period costume and the orchestra is composed entirely of traditional Korean instruments; there are no microphones or electric lights. The wooden porch of the courtyard is the stage, and the centuries old palace, the backdrop.
“We can see the instruments and also we can see the musicians dressed up in traditional costumes,” said university student Kim Hwa-yeon, “I feel like I visited the past to see this performance.”
The program lasts less than an hour, yet epitomizes Korean classical music and dance. The performances include arias performed by male and female singers, court dancing, a duet of bamboo flutes (called Danso and Saenghwang), and orchestral pieces by an ensemble of sophisticated string instruments and pipes.
The “Morning in Changgyeonggung” concerts are organized by the National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts and have been held on Saturday mornings in autumn since 2008. This event on Oct. 2 was the last for 2010.
“The audience are always moved by our concerts,” said Professor Song, “because the music they hear combines with the sound of the wind. They also look at the trees in the garden and at this palace, it all combines to purify their hearts.”
