Emergence from Celestial River by Orchid Ensemble

Lan Tung: erhu, Peggy Lee: cello
improvisation inspired by below text from “Weaver Woman” (1970) by O Chŏng-Hŭi:

“I open my window and see the stream below me at a sharp angle. I look up and focus on the dark knot on the skewed plank that crosses the stream, tracing a line to where my chest touches the window sill, to the knot, and then back to my eyes. Myriad motes of glittering dust drift inside this triangle. The stream runs dark and deep, and the plank above it seems so narrow and flimsy.”

Weaver Woman Suite was commissioned by Tomoe Arts Society for its dance theatre production Weaver Woman (2015), inspired by Korean writer O Chŏng-Hŭi’s 1970 short story, also named Weaver Woman. O’s writing tells the story of a woman struggling from lost love and traditional values and reaching self transformation. Although making references to the well known Asian legend of Weaver Woman, this contemporary short novel is completely different from the ancient love story. Weaver Woman Suite is a series of compositions and improvisation dedicated to Colleen Lanki, the producer and creator of dance theatre Weaver Woman and the late artistic director of the Tomoe Arts Society.

Established in 1997, the JUNO nominated Orchid Ensemble is acclaimed as “one of the most adventurous groups uniting Eastern and Western musical traditions” (Georgia Straight). The trio is made up of internationally renowned musicians Lan Tung (Taiwan/Canada) on the erhu/Chinese violin & vocals, Dailin Hsieh (Taiwan/Canada) on the zheng/Chinese zither, and Jonathan Bernard (Canada) on percussion.

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