Quan Ho -Mellifluous Sound of Bac Ninh – Kinh Bac

Illustraive photo.

The term "Quan ho" has been used for a long period of time and no one knows exactly why it has this name. There have been a number of theories to explain, but so far none of them have been convincing enough. There is an assumption that "quan ho" is the musical genre of the mandarin family so it is called "Quan ho". Unlike other folk songs, quan ho was not born from the peasants, but fromthe rural middle class. There is also a legend that there was a mandarin riding ahorse through Diem Xa village in Hoa Long commune, Y en Phong district and met a girl singing folk songs. The mandarin stopped his horse to listen, then fell in love with the song and named it the “quan ho” tune. The melody is like the people of this land, both skillful and delicate, but very discreet. Everytime, a guest comes to the house, we do not only have to pourwater to make tea to invite guests but we also need to sing a song full of loveand hospitality. Through each song, many feelings are conveyed. Like the melodies of “inviting water and betel”, we are sincere and warm whenever a guest comes to the house. "Hands lift a cup of alcohol, if you pour it out, you'll regret it, if you drink it, you'll get drunk". W e drink a cup of wine to celebrate the spring, the festival, and have fun with our friends... then sing for the end of the day , the end of the night with the melodies of farewell and the lyrics of glorious beginning of the dawn. After all, it ends with the earnest promise of

"Let's meet again"… in the next festival season. Quan Ho is not only beautiful in terms of lyrics, but also in melodious and gentle tones like loving girls. The high and low tones make the audience unable to quit and listen to the songs only once but nostalgically , and never let go. Because of these lyrics, visitors who arrived here for the first time fell in love with this beautiful hospitable land and the charming brothers and sisters dressed in four-part dress. It can be said that Bac Ninh is the home of ethnic folk festivals, where there are more than 500 different traditional festivals. Each festival is a live museum of culture, spirituality , and beliefs. Every year , spring comes with the brilliant red of peach blossoms, the bright yellow of apricot flowers, the lively atmosphere, the colors of the four-part skirt peeking out from the busy , bustling crowd. Every year , when T et comes, children love to go to the festival. And ever since, those earnest sounds have penetrated into our flesh and blood, become a subconscious part, and are present for their beloved homeland. Now , we only have quan ho songs in festivals or great national holidays. Young people may have gradually forgotten part of their roots and long-standing cultural beauties. Actually , there are still many young people who love this kind of music, and they have used their own ways to bring folk music, especially quan ho, closer to the audience. “Floating clouds drift, far away . Lover , I'm still waiting for you.” It is a very famous Quan Ho folk song, expressing the girl's earnest nostalgia for the boy . But what do you think if we remix it with modern instruments such as the piano or sing in English? It's really creative, isn't it? That way , folk music has come nearer and nearer to young listeners. Singer Duc Phuc is really well - known with the song “Nguoi oi nguoi o dung ve” (stay,darling). He used ancient materials such as the quan ho tune and folk instruments combined with modern lyrics and arrangement. By that way, old and new , strange and familiar melodies come at the same time. That's how a talented young generation reminds everyone of what is considered old. Let us try to sit back and listen to a quan ho folk song, look at the graceful brothers and sisters in a four-piece shirt, or listen to our own grandparents who are amateur artists. In fact, those priceless values have  you,please come to Son. W e will explore those beautiful values in your soul.