“Dragon Boat Ditty” is originated from the folk tune of Tujia People. Tujia culture can be traced back to a thousand years ago, mainly inhabit in the east end of Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, speak Tujia language. During the New Year’s Festival, Tujia people still preserve a custom called “Lantern Play”, which was originally a witchcraft of exorcism, later become a part of the celebration of new year. The song during the festival is called “Lantern Song”. Dragon Boat Melody is one of the most famous thus inherited until nowadays. The piece is arranged by Japanese composer PARK Soo-Hyun into concert band version. Begin with an elegant introduction, the music is followed by a light and lively march, portraying the joyfulness of festival.
The structure of the piece is a concise ternary form. The development of the melody is largely based on scale, which is easy for both players and audiences. The altering between tubas in duet version reminds about the chasing of children, which brings a joyful and warm musical atmosphere. The solo and duet with Grade 1 and 2 version can be chosen depends on the level of players. It provides flexibility for the performance, increasing the learning motivation and the sense of achievement for beginners.
Contrabass