Ji Jin, the son of King Ling of Zhou, played the sheng very well. The piece he played was like the sound of a phoenix singing and attracted a celestial being. This celestial being introduced him to practicing on a mountain and finally Ji Jin became a celestial being as well.

Whilst this ancient tale may not be true, it does give us a sense of how the sheng, as one of the most ancient traditional Chinese musical instruments, is linked with myth. Actually some believe sheng was created by Nüwa, the goddess creator of all human beings. It is called sheng because it symbolized the sound of the first month of the lunar year when everything starts to grow. And the word “live” sounds the same as “sheng” in Chinese.

The sheng was made to imitate the shape of the phoenix which owns the highest status in all birds as a Chinese mythical creature. The sheng’s bamboo pipes are like the long feathers of a phoenix. And the mouth of the sheng is like its head. In addition, it is also believed that the sheng is the best musical instrument to imitate the phoenix singing.

 

The sheng has been the chief musical instrument in the Chinese court since the Zhou Dynasty (1046 -256B.C.). The sheng has played an important role in the development of traditional Chinese music, and it has inspired many poets. For example:

 

 

细雨梦回鸡塞远，小楼吹彻玉笙寒

The drizzle drizzles on, and I dream about the frontier fortress. The cold sound of jade sheng forms reverberate moans in the small building.

--the Five Dynasties (907-960)

 

并刀如水，吴盐胜雪，纤手破新橙。锦幄初温，兽烟不断，相对坐调笙

The beautiful veiling warms up. The incense from the stove filled the room with a warm smell. They sit next to each other and play the sheng.

--Song Dynasty (960-1279)

 

悄悄是别离的笙箫

Quietness is my farewell music.

--1928

 

© Isabelle Xia

BCMG will be bringing the Sheng to Birmingham in a glimmering concert embracing music dissolving borders on 21 March, inviting virtuoso Wu Wei to give the world premiere of composer Donghoon Shin's Sheng Concerto 'Anecdote'

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