FROM the first trilling notes on the guqin, the 600-strong audience was held in thrall with the delicate melodies of classical Chinese music at the recent 'What is Qin' concert at the Petaling Jaya Performing Arts Centre in Selangor.
Guqin performer Ye Li Jia played a piece called 'Flowing Water', which was part of a composition that got new life under the Tang dynasty.
You could hear the water flowing and the calm of an eddy. It was a soothing piece.
Ye is part of China's Zi De Guqin Studio, which has been giving concerts the world over. 'What is Qin' was co-organised by the Guzheng Academy in Petaling Jaya and supported by the China Cultural Centre.
The musicians performed in traditional Chinese outfits, aimed at evoking characters from ancient Chinese paintings. Some members of the audience added to the grace of the evening in resplendent 'hanfu'.
Of the 10 melodies offered, including 'Grape Fairy' and 'Ethereal Orchid', the piece called 'Ultimate Joy' stood out for its Middle Eastern folk tune.
An upbeat piece called 'Drunken Fishermen Singing in the Sunset' got the audience clapping along to percussive rhythms pounded out by Chen Xi, the president of Zi De Guqin Studio.
Using the large drum one normally associates with the lion dance in Malaysia, Chen blended its tones into the quzheng, guqin, flute, and pipa notes from the ensemble. There was an undertone provided by a player on what looked like a Tibetan singing bowl.
The three-movement melody was inspired by the ancient Chinese melody 'Evening Song of the Drunken Fishermen' and French composer Erik Satie's 'Gymnopedies'.
Flautist Lin Ze Qin took the lead in 'Grape Fairy'. It was a warm, pastoral piece, with bright notes from pipa player Wang Mu Yu and guzheng performer Yu Chen Yao. The latter is touted as a gold prize winner in China's guzheng competitions.
What would have added to the evening's enjoyment for non-Chinese speakers was a translation of the Chinese text that appeared before each song.
Nonetheless, the visuals that accompanied the melodies did lend context to the music performed.
There were two encore pieces. One was the 'Doraemon' theme song, while the other featured Malaysians Leslie Anak Eli on sape and Mohd Kamrulbahri Hussin on the gendang.
Leslie, an Iban from Petra Jaya, Sarawak, is a permanent sape musician in Orkestra Tradisional Malaysia. Kamrulbahri is a multi-instrumentalist and a traditional music artiste.
They interacted well with the Zi De Guqin Studio ensemble, delighting the audience with their camaraderie on stage.
The rousing rendition of 'Rasa Sayang' ended the evening on a high note, drawing warm applause from the appreciative audience.