Sound Strokes: A Harmonious Blend of Chinese and Scottish Music – Camden People’s Theatre
As in language there are untranslatable words which are uniquely capable of capturing the abstract, so in music there are sounds which are singularly placed to do the same. The Chinese instrument zheng and the four elements in our world— earth, wind, fire, water—is one such perfect marriage, as showcased by the masterful Wan Xing in Sound Strokes: A Harmonious Blend of Chinese and Scottish Music.
Photo: Cheung Chi
The show combines pieces from Chinese, Scottish and Irish musical traditions to create fresh arrangements that demonstrate the commonalities between them as they seek to capture the elements. It begins with earth, played against the backdrop of a soil painting by the artist Qiu Yangzi and the calm thrum of Gregor Black’s brushstrokes on percussion, emulating the sound of o...