Daoist Orchestra Visits the UK
For the first time in the UK, a 14-Piece Daoist Ensemble and 4 Daoist Professors visited the UK from China to give recitals, talks and demonstrations of the most ancient aspects of Chinese culture and their relevance to contemporary life today.
The extraordinary Ensemble represents an intact Daoist musical tradition, dating back 2,000 years. They play on traditional instruments including the sheng, dizi (bamboo flute) and suona, dressed in Daoist traditional costumes. Their performance featured pieces of the earliest style of Daoist chanting along with ancient dance, ritualised Daoist music. The orchestra’s 14 musicians have been trained by professors of the Folk Music Department at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.
The 4 Professors were from the Shanghai Academy of Social Science, Xiamen University, the Chinese Daoist Association and Sichuan University and gave excellent talks and demonstrations aiming to promote the value of ancient Chinese culture in the UK and to bridge the ancient Chinese arts and culture with modern life. The emphasis of their talks was on strengthening communities, improving health and well-being and enriching spiritual life.
