Blooms in a Glimpse: Story of Kreta Ayer “昙花镜影——牛车水的故事”

Blooms in a Glimpse: Story of Kreta Ayer
“昙花镜影——牛车水的故事”

Book Launch: Saturday, 10 June 2006, 4.30 p.m.
Singapore Art Museum

With childhood memory drawn from Chinatown, coupled with images created by two Cultural Medallion recipients Yip Cheong Fun and Chua Ek Kay. Chong’s book reconstructs a memory landscape with an urgency to share with us the root-and-branch of a place that has shaped our past and define our presence.

以童年的记忆为经, 以见证南洋风雨的牛车水为纬,资深报人莊永康借童稚的灵犀之眼, 邀约叶畅芬的影像, 与蔡逸溪的水墨, 让似昙花, 像镜影的纯真岁月,忆往, 重构了生命的最初与有情的天地的款款唱和。

Guest of Honour:
Assoc Prof Kwok Kian Woon
National Heritage Board and Singapore Art Museum Board Member, Vice Dean, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University

Speakers:
Mr Chong Wing Hong, Journalist, Lianhe Zaobao
Mr Andrew Yip, Author of Chinatown - different exposures and Singapore Chinatown in pictures

Cultural Programme:

Cantonese Nanyin Performance

Nanyin (Namyum) is a strain of ballad sung in Kreta Ayer over the decades. It is very much a heritage shared by the Cantonese people in Singapore, Hong Kong and along the Pearl River in China. The song of Nan Shaoyi, Burning of Joss Paper, depicts a slice of life more than a hundred years ago, yet with traces of it still cherished by many Chinese of today. It is an integration of musical elements from the Tang and Yuan dynasties, Geyang accent and Minnan folk music.

南音是牛车水的一 缕乡音,散发着新加坡、香 港、珠江沿岸的广东人的共同情感。« 男烧衣»这支南音来自 清朝未年,里头描绘的生活习惯和人情世故到今天还是依稀可辨。它荟集了盛唐以来中原雅乐之精华,后来又吸引了元曲、戈阳腔的特长, 并与闽南的民间音乐融汇一体.

Witness the launching of this new and important publication!

Hosted by Singapore Art Museum

[Ack: Singapore Art Museum]

Teochew Opera Singing Classes

The Sai Ho Piat Su (Teochew for Xi He Bie Shu　西河别墅) , an association for the Lim Clan since 1937, has Teochew Opera singing classes, under the tutelage of an accomplished opera Singer from Teochew, China. This class is open to anyone interested.

So, if you are, call 62889388 for more details. The Sai Ho Piat Su has a building just next to the Hougang Dou Mu Gong (9 Emperor Gods) along Upper Serangoon Road.

Cantonese Opera Singing Anyone?

Of all the local Chinese operas, I think Cantonese Opera is probably one of the most active and visible ones. Apart from the professional opera groups, there are a number of amateur ones and many are taking an interests in it.

Inside Chinatown, the Kong Chao Wui Kun (Gang Zhou Hui Guan 岡州会馆) , Gang Zhou Association, which is probably older than its building which was built in 1924, is offering Cantonese Opera Singing lessons 粤曲教唱班. This Association has been amongst the pioneers in having a Cantonese Opera and a Lion and Dragon Dance troupe.

So, if you are interested in the singing class, call them at 62239806. The building is along New Bridge Road, opposite to Pearl Centre.

Shanghai Yue Opera Charity Night at Victoria Theatre

Food from the Heart, a charity organisation in Singapore is organising another event, combining culture and charity and involving the community and the school. I have taken the liberty (with permission of course) to re-post this here. You can also read this at its website at:

http://www.foodheart.org/news/news.php?id=13

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Shanghai Yue Opera Charity Night at Victoria Theatre (Volunteers Needed for the 2 evenings!)
Venue: Victoria Theatre Date / Time: 12th / 13th May 2006, 7.45pm Tickets: S$20 / S$30 / Complimentary Ticket

Yue Ju (越剧) or Shanghai Yue Opera originated from the Zhejiang Province where Shanghai was the catalyst for its popularity. Yue Opera’s dramatic style, drawing on modern theatrical techniques and its expressive, emotional and melodic singing style should go down well with the young generation. The language is akin to spoken Mandarin, another important draw for the young who are more comfortable with the official Chinese language than dialects. As an art form, Yue Opera is extremely beautiful and enjoyable to watch. Despite the historical settings of its stories, most plots are relevant in the context of modern day society. For instance “The Peacocks Flying to the Southeast”, adapted from the famous Han Dynasty poem. Stories like these extol the greatness of true love – a universal language.

Tales of love and sacrifices make riveting drama; most stories evolve around other universal virtues like humility, courage, loyalty and duty, filial piety and responsibility. For the younger generation who have missed an orientation in a theatrical form that was once popularly embraced by the common people, the excerpts selected by Marine Parade Community Club, Shanghai Yue Opera Club for this charity performance are carefully picked for their educational and entertainment as well as artistic values.

Members of MPCC Shanghai Yue Opera Appreciation Club and students from CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls' School will be performing together with 2 Yue Opera stars, Hua Yi-Qing & Huang Hui who will fly in all the way from Shanghai for our 2 nights’ charity shows. As for the music, the SAF MDC Chinese Instrumental Ensemble will be a perfect accompaniment to both our evenings at Victoria Theatre. The conductor of this orchestra is MAJ Tay Soon Huat. To help appreciate this traditional art form, we will provide line-by-line English translations of the scripts.

“越剧”起源于中国浙江嵊县，发祥于上海，以表演细腻，唱腔优雅著称，优美深情的越剧音乐，集中体现中国人民的美学情趣，而中国戏曲以发扬忠孝仁义等中国优良传统美德，通过鲜明的人物塑造与性格刻画，优美的表演，优秀的唱腔，淋漓尽致的倾诉人情、人性、人的命运、人的真善美，从而激动观众心弦，引起共鸣，使广大观众从中获得美感而留下难以忘怀的印象，“红楼梦”、“梁山伯与祝英台”、“孔雀东南飞”等更是享誉海内外，令人百看不厌的不朽经典剧名。

马林百列民众俱乐部――上海越剧欣赏学会，正是以发扬中国优良传统美德、推广优美越剧为宗旨而成立的一个本地年轻活跃的业余团体，成立短短几年，对于推广越剧艺术从来不遗余力，为本地越剧舞台凭添许多光彩的同时，更为慈善事业尽绵力，每次演出都为本地慈善团体筹募善款。

今次为“爱心粮食”筹募善款，乃感于该慈善团体对于慈善事业的热忱与积极，虽然成立时间与上海越剧欣赏学会一样只有短短的几年，但是其善行义举已经遍布全国各个角落，更网络了一批为数不少的义工，义工队伍还在不断的扩大中，同样本着推广艺术与慈善事业的热忱，促成了今次的慈善越剧晚会。

晚会特别邀请了上海越剧院著名小生黄慧、花旦华怡青担任主要演出项目 现场乐队 : 新加坡武装部队华乐团 指挥: 郑顺发少校

Food from the Heart (FFTH) has chosen this event as it wants to encourage the better understanding of a Chinese culture and language. The funds raised through this event will go towards the 7 community programmes run by Food from the Heart. To find out more, please contact Ms. Ain at 62597176 (ext 5) or email to ain@foodheart.org

Book: Ritual is Theatre, Theatre is Ritual

Street wayangs or street operas in Singapore are in most cases dependent on temple celebrations. More so for the Hokkien and Teochew operas. The symbiotic relationship between the street operas and the Chinese temples must have gone back centuries. In the days when most people are illiterate, the street opera is a very powerful medium of education and knowledge transfer.

Our grandparents and even parents learnt much about Chinese history through the operas. In many ways, so were our knowledge of Deities in the Chinese temples. Interestingly, when a spirit medium go into trance, representing a Deity, somehow we might try to relate to the same character we saw at the opera. The only difference is that now the temple ground is a stage, and all of us, devotees and onlookers become part of that stage.

Margaret Chan's book: Ritual is Theatre, Theatre is Ritual: Tang-ki: Chinese Spirit Medium Worshop, is a timely piece of book and information for us to better understand rituals and their powerful relationship with theatre, and vice versa. Many questions that we have but have yet to find the answers, could well have the answers in this book. (^^) A very valuable guide for local Chinese temple and sintua observers and even devotees.

The details of the book:

Ritual is Theatre, Theatre is Ritual
Tang-ki: The Chinese Spirit Medium Worship
By Margaret Chan

Published by
Wee Kim Wee Centre
Singapore Management University
& SNP International

ISBN : 981-248-115-X

Bookshop Price: S$39.90

Hokkien Opera in Singapore 福建戏曲

Here are some of the troupes that you can still found them performing in Singapore.

The troupes are,

1. 新赛凤 (Xin Sai Feng)
2. 筱麒麟 (Xiao Qi Lin)
3. 筱凤 (Xiao Feng)
4. 南艺 (Nan Yi)
5. 新燕玲 (Xin Yan Ling)
6. 新珠凤 (Xin Zhu Feng)
7. 玉珠凤 (Yu Zhu Feng)
8. 四季春 (Si Ji Chun)
9. 新庆华 (Xin Qing Hua)
10. 王泗妹 (Wang Si Mei)

As for Amatuer troupes,

1. 福建公会芗剧团 (Xiang Ju Opera Troupe)
2. 爱心歌仔戏团 (Ai Xin Ge Zhai Xi ~ Taiwanese Hokkien Opera)
3. 湘灵音乐社 (Xiang Ling Troupe ~ Nan Yin)

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Some of the famous Opera Shows,

1. 陈三五娘 (Chen San Wu Niang)
2. 卖杂货 (Mai Za Huo)
3. 粱山伯与祝英台 (Liang Shan Bo Yu Zhu Ying Tai)
4. 李三娘 (Li San Niang)
5. 李门环 (Li Men Huan)
6. 红鬃烈马 (Hong Zong Lie Ma)

Teochew Opera in Singapore 潮州戏曲

In the 1920s (abt 80-90yrs ago), the first Teochew Opera Troupe entered Singapore, named
赛永丰潮剧团 (Sai Yong Feng).

Then followed by a troupe from Chao Shan named 老赛宝丰 (Lao Sai Bao Feng).

Teochew Opera Troupes that you can find now are,

1. 老赛桃源 (Lao Sai Tao Yuan)
2. 老一枝香 (Lao Yi Zhi Xiang)
3. 金鹰 (Jin Ying)

Amatuer Troupe,

1. 余娱儒乐社 (Yu Yu Ru Yue She)

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Some of the famous Opera Shows,

1. 白兔记（又名：李三娘） - Bai Tu Ji (The story of Madam Li)
2. 陈三五娘 (又名：荔镜缘) - Chen San Wu Niang (Romance of Chen San & Wu Niang)
3. 桃花过渡 - Tao Hua Guo Du
4. 火烧临江楼 - Huo Shao Lin Jiang Lou
5. 苏六娘 - Su Liu Niang

Xin He Ping Jia Li Xi 新和平加礼戏

Xin Yue Ping 新月平

This is a string puppet opera.

Street Wayang in Singapore

What we have taken for granted for decades is now slowly fading away. Before that happens, I hope to compile a list of these street wayangs, be there full operas or puppet shows. They form a strong part of the Chinese Heritage in Singapore.

Here I hope to document the name of the street wayang, the contacts and the history. Any information is welcomed.