Dayung Sampan 划舢板
Solo organ
Programme notes
This short piece is a transcreation of the popular song Dayung Sampan (划舢板, meaning Row the Sampan), arranged by Robert Casteels for the organ.
The composition immediately establishes a vivid scene through the use of organ technique:
Opening: The piece opens with ascending and descending arpeggios that are specifically intended to describe sea waves.
Melody and Texture: In reference to the song's maritime theme and the journey it describes, the sweet melody is regularly interspersed with a gentle swaying motion executed on just two music notes. This swaying motion musically represents the action of rowing or the movement of the boat itself.
The original lyrics of Dayung Sampan tell a story of migration and journey, which informs the musical structure: Row the sampan; anchored in the port in a Chinese town, you have come to Singapore; an oar to row your sampan to Singapore.
The transcreation captures the sentiment of the traveler's journey from a Chinese port to Singapore.
Completion of the composition
6-VIII-2015
Cover created by AI [2-25]
Duration:
1' 30"
Composed In:
2015
Dedicated to:
Parts:
First performance:
05.10.15 Victoria Concert Hall
First performed by:
Esther Wong
Commissioned by:
979-0-9025006-6-1
Download Link: