National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea When mogabi (leader of a group of singers) leads with his part of the song, the others follow him with their part of the song, playing the sogo (small drums) and making gestures with their hands and feet. The name Santaryeong (Folk Song of the Mountain) was attached, since the lyrics are associated with natural scenery. It starts with slow rhythms but becomes faster gradually. Today, the folk song is sung by males, but it originally stemmed from the female songs of sadangpae (itinerant performance troupe) composed of monks and Buddhist followers, who sang choruses of a prayer to Buddha and received contributions from people in return. With the decline of Buddhism during the Joseon Period, the members of the wandering troupes were replaced with males. Their prayer to Buddha was replaced with Seonsori Taryeong (songs performed in a standing position) sung by ordinary people. Seonsori Santaryeong was divided into a version of Seodo (referring to Hwanghae-do and Pyeongan-do) and a version of Gyeonggi. The latter portrays the natural scenery of places close to Seoul with singers playing sogo, whereas the former sings about the natural scenery of Pyeongyang joyfully with a fast tempo with singers making gestures and waving handkerchiefs. This piece of folk song is a precious material for those studying the music of sadangpae. It is the most joyful, gallant, and liveliest piece among the country’s traditional music pieces.

"Yike" is a popular theater among the locals. In the past, there was a Yike group in most district village to perform at important festivals or events in the community. During each performance, locals, young and old, come from everywhere to watch the performance. Therefore, the famous Yike performer is loved and remembered by the people around him or her forever. If the story is sad, the audiences often shed tears with the story without realizing it. Yike can be performed in both traditional and modern themes. When performing traditional repertoires, some characters such as giants, monkeys, Ei Sei, and Tlok (clown) all wear face masks, while male characters (kings or Devadas) wear sharp crowns, and some female characters (princesses, angels) wear crowns and Kbangs (another kind of headdress). Costumes are also very luxurious and elegant. However, it would change to adapt the story’s context. Spoken word and singing are the communication medium for the theater genre. Performers usually have to sing live, but if the characters do not sing well, they can lip singing. The accompanying music is Yi Ke music with 3 to 13 drums and 1 Tror. Tror is for opening the song and for the vocals of both the choir and the soloist to match. As for Sralai, it is used only in the song "Jeut" in the opening ceremony. Before starting to play, they have to do an opening ceremony or dance for their masters/spirits.There is music, singing and dancing, with a Yike teacher playing the drums and singing the opening song. Today, in addition to the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, Yike remains in some provinces, such as Pursat, Kampot, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Thom, Kampong Cham, and the most famous Yike troupe is in Takeo. Therefore, Yike theater can be different from one place to another. Today, Yike is included in the curriculum of the Secondary School of Fine Arts. Among the dramas performed in Yike theatre, "Tum Teav" is the most popular. The Yike performance of Tum Teav was first performed in 1967 at the Suramarit Theater. The well-known Yike teachers who passed away are Lok Ta Khi and Lok Ta Duong. The stories that were performed include: -\t"Tum Teav" was staged in 1967 by Professor Pich Tum Kravil Prof. Hang Thorn Hak and Prof. Chheng Phon -\t“Ah Neak Khak Kam” were staged in 1967 by Prof. Pich Tum Kravil and Prof. Vann Sunheng under the direction of Prof. Chheng Phon. -\t“Sovann Chankiri” staged in 1973 by Mr. Mom Soth -\t“Mak Theung” staged by Prof. Pich Tum Kravil, edited by Prof. Chheng Phon and Prof. Hang Thorn Hak. -\t“Loyal Commander” and “Oh! Ptei Srok Khmer” staged in 1973 under the direction of Mr. Reach Teng -\t"Hang Yun" was edited in 1994 by Mrs. Uy Lattavann -\t"Phka Sla Bei" was staged in 1995 by Mr. Mom Soth, Professor Pich Tum Kravil, Professor Hang Soth and Mr. Mao Keng. -\t"Tip Soda Chan" was staged in 1995 by Mr. Ieng Sithul and Mrs. Uy Lattavann under the direction of Professor Hang Soth, Professor Pich Tum Kravil and Mr. Mao Keng.

The Dong’s grand song is a folk multipart singing a cappella that includes women’s choirs, men’s choirs and mixed choirs. Its repertory comprises genres such as ‘drum-tower’ songs, ‘imitative’ songs (in which by imitating sounds from nature performers display their vocal virtuosity), ballads, children songs, songs for the ‘dance around the drum-towers’ and ‘welcoming’ songs. The drum-tower – a landmark building of Dong villages – is the venue where rituals, entertainment and meetings are held. As such, the drum-towers are the formal locale for performances. However, at times improvised performances may take place also in cottages, on the roofed bridges, at the village gates or squares. The grand songs usually have two vocal parts producing consonant intervals of fourth and fifth; occasionally intervals of second and major and minor thirds may also occur. Singers take turns in breathing in order to sustain the long bass part. The upper part is led by one or two singers alternatively, thus resulting in chords of three or even four parts. The voices’ timbre and intonation are extremely well amalgamated, showing the excellent creativity and skill of the singers. The Dong people live mainly in the mountainous areas of Guizhou. They used to have no writing system and passed down their culture and knowledge through singing. As a popular Dong saying goes, “rice nourishes the body, songs nourish the soul”. The expression “nourish the soul” summarizes the effort to educate people’s sentiments and virtues. This proverb alludes to the aims and characteristics of the grand song, that is the dissemination of culture and the edification of people through recreation. The grand song is the Dong people’s “encyclopedia”. It narrates their history, extols the belief in the “unity between humanity and nature”, disseminates scientific knowledge, sings the honest love between men and women, and advocates social virtues like respecting the elders and taking good care of one’s neighbor. As such, the Dong people have no interest in seizing lost belongings, nor do they need to care about the safety of their home when the door is left open. The performance shows also the Dong’s search for the ideal of a “unity between humanity and nature”. The music is passed down by a skilled master who teaches a group of disciples – the choir. This process gives shape to the Dong peculiar cultural milieu where everyone is put in the condition to participate in singing. At present, in all Dong villages there are various singing teams divided according to the members’ age. In addition, Dong grand song ensembles, associations for the promotions of Dong culture, and Dong song research institutes have been established in Liping, Congjiang and Rongjiang Counties. Under the guidance of these folk organizations a number of singing contests have been held, and a campaign has been launched to bring the Dong’s grand song into the classrooms. Some Dong singing masters such as Wu Pinxian (aged 62), Wu Jiaxing (aged 65) and Wu Yuzhu (aged 45) have played a key role in the teaching of this art. As a result, performance, research and transmission have been stimulated and further developed. The grand song is a cultural form created, performed and developed by the Dong people themselves. It acts as a sign of ethnic identity, as an ‘intangible’ cultural heritage that complements the drum-towers, i.e. their ‘tangible’ cultural heritage. The Dong people are deeply aware of the historical importance and responsibilities associated with inheriting and passing down this oral tradition.

China 2009