Ansan City Choir from South Korea

     I was absolutely amazed and moved by this group! They were so versatile and beautiful! One of my favorite pieces they did was Ji-Hun Park’s song cycle,“The Fisherman’s Song.” Before the performance of “The Fisherman’s Song,” the conductor (and composer), Ji-Hun Park, explained to the audience how there would be two English phrases we would understand: “The storm is coming!” and “It’s sinking!” This piece is filled with various emotions and sorrow, as they are conveying how the sea represents the fisherman fighting the waves and protecting their families through tough times. The story they told was incredible and with their movements around the stage, it really showed how expressive they were and gave meaning to the piece, as well as their culture. I also loved how the conductor was just as involved as the choir. When the choir moved around a lot and moved from place to place, the conductor did as well, which that really shows he was very engaged and connected with the choir
    Another piece they performed that I really enjoyed was “Arirang,” a Korean folk song. Similar to the last piece, there were such beautiful melodic lines and story-telling. They even incorporated some elegant and graceful dance movements to convey the meaning of the text. The energy and intensity they had drove the emotional aspects of the piece to a whole other level. Overall, it enlightened my perspectives on choral music.

-Laura Stedge (Freshman)

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