HEART OF THE DRAGON ENSEMBLE The Heart of the Dragon Ensemble is a UK-based professional Chinese musicians' group that holds regular concerts and educational programmes throughout the UK. Apart from playing traditional and classical Chinese music, the group also creates new compositions and productions. The Ensemble was founded and is led by composer and producer Jiang Li. Widely acclaimed as a composer of the new generation in the UK as well as in mainland China, and with a performing and composing career spanning more than thirty years, Jiang Li has produced a repertoire rich in Chinese music with Western influences. Jiang Li has been awarded a Fellowship Programme from NESTA - the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts. He was also one of three finalists for a Pearl Award in the Creative Excellence category. Here, Jiang Li and the Heart of the Dragon Ensemble present the music of a variety of Chinese festivals celebrated throughout the Chinese calendar. A note from the producer Music is an expression of spiritual emotions. Looking back at Chinese history, it is not difficult to find that festivals and music are integrated and have evolved together. When music, dance and street arts add cultural colour to the festival, the festival provides an opportunity for these art forms to flourish. Included in this album is a good selection of such music that tell the stories of Chinese festivals: the drum beats for the dragon boat race in the Dragon Boat festival (“Three Dragons”), the lyrical tunes between the erhu and xiao on Chinese Valentine’s day (“Valentine Melody” & “Moonlight on Spring Water”), the harvest drums during the Mid-Autumn festival (“Autumn Celebration”), and the smooth ‘water-flow’-like melodies of the guzheng depicting ancient mythical stories (“Four Pieces of Silk”). As well as new works, this album also includes famous classical pieces. I had great pleasure working with the talented UK-based musicians from Heart of the Dragon Ensemble (www.chinesemusic.co.uk). As always, they work hard to promote and showcase Chinese traditional music to audiences in the UK and around the world. The musicians are from a mixture of different backgrounds. Although they all started their instrumental training when they were young in China (and started their professional musical careers there), some of them have continued their studies here in the UK and others have settled here due to their artistic excellence. Most members of the Heart of the Dragon Ensemble also have their own projects, as well as performing with other Chinese and western professional groups. I would also like to use this opportunity to thank ARC Music for their support and hard work in promoting ethnic and world music, and for providing a platform for new Chinese music to be published and reach international audiences. I hope to continue our partnership for a long time to come. Chinese Festivals China has 5,000 years of continuous civilisation. Customs that have evolved over a long history are carried out in the celebrations of important life events, such as births, weddings, funerals and remembering ancestors. These customs reflect the everyday life of Chinese people, their traditions and Chinese mythological stories. In the course of social development and change, the original meaning behind some festivals faded from memory, and were eventually forgotten, as new religions and beliefs came about. Such festivals became associated with particular religions and beliefs, such as the three main beliefs in China: Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. 中国传统节日 中国有5000年的文明。 在悠久的历史发展中，民间的文化与习俗在生活中体现出来，例如各 种节日，出生，婚礼，葬礼和祭祀祖先等。 这些习俗体现了中国人的日常生活，传统和历史 上的神话故事。 在社会发展和变革的过程中，节日背后的原始意义随着新的宗教和信仰的出现而逐渐改变， 消失并最终被遗忘。 很多节日与特定的宗教和信仰有关，例如中国的三个主要信仰：儒家， 道教和佛教。 Spring Festival and Traditional Customs The Spring Festival, also known as the Lunar New Year (*1), is the most important festival. The celebrations last for 16 days from New Year’s Eve and end on the day of the Lantern Festival. In traditional custom, each day has special activities that people either should or shouldn’t do. (*1) 农历 A lunar calendar is based upon the monthly cycles of the Moon’s phases. This is in contrast to solar calendars, whose annual cycles are based upon the solar year. In preparation for the New Year, people do a thorough clean of their house. This represents putting away old things, bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming in the new. Special decorations such as door couplets, red lanterns and paper cut-outs are displayed. These decorations are thought to bring good luck, ward away evil, and bring about for good health and prosperity. Special New Year food is purchased and prepared. Traditionally, people only bought new clothes for the coming year which were to last them the whole year. On New Year’s Eve, there is a family reunion dinner. Dishes with lucky and symbolic meanings are eaten, such as fish (prosperity), sweet rice balls (family union), noodles (longevity), dumplings (wealth) and others. Families then stay up late to welcome in the new lunar year. On Chinese New Year’s Day, fireworks and firecrackers are lit to celebrate and to scare off bad spirits. Lucky money in red envelopes are gifted to children and are believed to bring good luck. Housework is not carried out in the next couple of days as this may “sweep away” good luck and fortune accrued in the first couple of days. Traditionally, on the second day, married daughters visit their maternal home with their husbands. They will also take red envelopes with lucky money inside for children and gifts for parents and relatives. On the third day to the seventh day, people visit their relatives and friends. Some people will also go to visit the graves and tombs of their ancestors. “Sacrifices” will include fresh food, such as whole roast piglet, and fresh fruits are offered to show respect and piety. Ancestral spirits are thought to protect their descendants and help them become prosperous and successful. Eight is a lucky number in China. On the eighth day of Chinese New Year, most people return to work, and businesses reopen. 春节 春节也被称为农历新年，是最重要的节日。 庆祝活动从新年前夕持续16天，结束于元宵节。 在传统习俗中，每天都有应该要做及不应该做的事。 人们为了迎接新的一年，彻底地进行大扫除，做到干干净净，告别旧年，欢迎新年。 新春装 饰如对联，红灯笼和剪纸。 这些装饰被认为带来好运，赶走邪恶，祈求幸福安康，财源广 进。 购买新年食品。 人们还会在新年穿上新衣服。 在新年前夕，人人回家吃团圆饭。 所有的菜肴都象征着新年幸运，如鱼 （年年有余），汤圆（团圆美满），面条（长寿），饺子（交好运）等。 除夕当天，要说吉 祥话，守岁整个晚上。 新年的第一天，辞旧岁、迎新年、鞭炮齐响、烟花满天、驱赶年兽。 大人会给孩子们发利士红包，里面有幸运钱，据说可以带来好运。 接下来的两天内是不可以打扫卫生的，因为这样容易把家中的财气扫掉。 传统上，新年的第二天，已婚的女儿会在这一天和她丈夫一起回娘家， 还要带着派给小孩的红包及送给家人的礼物。 在新年的第三天到第七天，人们拜访亲戚和朋友。也有些人还会去拜祖宗。 参拜时的“供 品” 包括全烧乳猪, 新鲜水果蔬菜等新鲜食物, 以对先人的尊重和虔诚。 祖灵被认为可以保估 他们的后代。 成年人会发红包给孩子们，据说会带来了好运。 中国人认为8是幸运数字，大多数公司都会在第8天开门营业。 Lantern Festival On the 15th day of the Chinese New Year, people mark the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations by lighting lanterns and releasing them into the sky or releasing floating lanterns on to flowing water. There are often firework displays and bonfires. Because it is the first full moon night of the year, families will gather for dinner. 元宵节 在农历新年的第十五天，人们点亮灯笼并释放到天空或将灯笼放到水上漂浮，以庆祝新年活动 的结束。 元宵节还会有烟花表演和燃点灯火。 因为它是新年的第一个月圆之夜，元宵节一家人 也会回家一齐吃晚饭。 Ching Ming Festival and Customs The Ching Ming Festival, also known as the Tomb Sweeping Day, is an important day and usually falls around April 5th of the Gregorian calendar. It has a history of over 2,500 years. It is the day of worshipping the ancestors, cleaning the graves and making ritual offerings including traditional food, and burning of joss sticks and joss paper. It also marks the beginning of spring when people will often take part in a sporting activity or enjoy an outdoor activity such as kite flying. Little lanterns are tied to the kites. When the kite is flying, its strings are cut, setting the kite free, symbolizing the elimination of diseases. 清明节 清明节是一个重要的日子，通常在公历的4月5日左右。 它有2500多年的历史。 这是一个拜祖 先，清理坟墓和进行祭祀仪式的日子，活动包括享用传统食物和燃烧香火。 清明节也标志着春 天的开始，人们还会参与放风筝等户外活动。 把小灯笼绑在风筝上，当风筝飞上了天空后，再 把风筝线剪断，象征把消除疾病放走。 Dragon Boat Festival The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Duanwu, is a traditional festival occurring on the 5th day of the 5th month of the lunar calendar, which is usually around the summer solstice. The legend says that the important tradition of dragon boat racing originates from people paddling out on boats to seek the body of the famous poet Qu Yuan, who drowned himself in a river. It became a traditional festival for the Chinese to commemorate Qu Yuan. Wooden boats are decorated like dragons, measuring around 20-40 metres and requiring 30-50 people to row. Paddling of the boat is accompanied by the beating of a large drum placed at the front of the boat. All rowers follow the beat. Zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) is a popular festival food. These are triangular rice parcels filled with meat and beans wrapped in bamboo leaves. The legend says that lumps of rice were thrown into the river to stop fish eating Qu Yuans’ body. 端午节 端午节是在农历五月初五的传统节日，通常在夏至左右。 传说中龙舟赛的重要传统源于人们在船上划船寻找投河自尽诗人屈原的尸体, 这个活动慢慢成 为人们纪念屈原的传统节日。 木船装饰得像一条大约20-40米的龙，需要30-50人划。 竞赛时船 头还有一个鼓手击鼓，船员们根据鼓的节奏，一齐用力划船。 端午节的节日食品是粽子，粽子里面装满用竹叶包裹起来的米饭，肉类及豆子。 传说把粽子扔 到河里，以阻止鱼吃屈原的身体。 Jiang Li Wang Beibei Guo Yi Li Ming Wang Xiao Cindy Ni Zhu Xiao Meng Hu Ruijun Wu Mengmeng Jiang Li Wang Beibei Guo Yi Li Ming Wang Xiao Cindy Ni Zhu Xiao Meng Hu Ruijun Wu Mengmeng Qixi Festival The Qixi festival, also known as Qiqiao festival, falls on the 7th day of the 7th month of the lunar calendar; it is “Chinese Valentine’s Day”. This festival celebrates the mythical annual meeting of the cowherd and the weaver girl. Their love was forbidden and they were banished to opposite sides of the Milky Way. They were only allowed to meet once a year via a bridge formed of magpies. A pair of magpies came to symbolize happiness and faithfulness. The festival symbolizing love. This festival has inspired the popular Japanese festival of Tanabata. 七夕 七夕节，又称乞巧节，在农历七月初七，是“中国情人节”。 这个节日纪念牛郎织女的神话。 他们的爱是被禁止的，天隔一方。 他们每年只能有一次通过由喜鹊搭成的桥来会面。 一对喜鹊 象征着幸福和忠诚。 这是一个象征爱情的节日。 Mid-Autumn Festival Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon festival, is a time to celebrate the harvest.