A concert called “Chinese Church Music Since the Tang Dynasty” was held by Beijing Catholics in mid-October.
Live-streamed on October 16, the virtual concert received more than 50,000 views as the prologue of the recent seminar “The Chinese Face of Jesus Christ” which explored the Sinicization of Catholicism, was conducted on the same day.
Different styles of religious music were presented in the Church of the Savior in Beijing, covering the sacred music of Nestorianism, Catholicism, and Protestantism.
According to Tianguang (Heaven Light) Newspaper, an online Chinese-language Catholic news agency based in Beijing, the pieces which are mostly rooted in Chinese indigenous music were performed via traditional Chinese musical instruments in chronological order, spanning the dynasties and periods of Tang, Ming, Qing, the Republic of China, and modern times.
“The purpose of the concert is to show people what the Christian music in China has experienced, what has survived, and what we can enjoy at present.”
Some excellent works with Chinese characteristics were selected. Many were from Hymns of Universal Praise, a church hymnal published in 1936.
This is the most important church music hymnal in modern times, whose theological and translation levels reached their peak in the recent century,” said Sun Chenhui, associate researcher at the Institute of Music of the Chinese National Academy of Arts.
“Appreciating the sacred music adapted from Chinese classical poems and music and knowing their background, we are not only nurtured by these church music works which are ‘sinicized’ at a high level but also catch a glimpse at the efforts of church predecessors who strove to sinicize sacred music in order to preach the gospel throughout China,” said Joseph Li Shan, the Catholic Archbishop of Beijing.
The concert ended with a piece titled “The Lord’s Prayer”.
- Translated by Karen Luo
2021年10月16日晚7点，“唐代以来的中国圣乐”音乐会在北京西什库教堂上演。音乐会是由北京天主教主办的，是2021年天主教中国化神学研讨会“耶稣基督的中国面容”的续章，并结合网络形式进行直播和回放，共有超过5万人观看。
音乐会主要展示将近1300年来中西方文明碰撞的宗教音乐艺术，收集了很多古典原创圣乐作品，挖掘整理了诸多具有中国本土特色与风格的代表性圣乐曲目，部分作品是首次与观众见面。
据天主教媒体“天光报”报道，音乐会以穿越千年的中国声音，扎根于中国本土音乐，借着各种中华传统乐器，诸如琵琶、笛、萧、鼓板、三弦、笙、二胡等，尽现了西方宗教音乐的独特魅力，音乐会的曲目按照唐代、明清、民国和近现代的时间排序，按派别分类。上半场音乐为景教和天主教圣乐，下半场为新教圣乐。多数曲目扎根于中国本土音乐，借着各种中华传统乐器来展现了宗教音乐的独特魅力，让人们领略到西方音乐与中国传统音乐间不同寻常的学术成果和艺术价值，体现了天主教音乐中国化的风采，再现了天主教中国化神学思想的深厚底蕴。
中国艺术研究院音乐研究所副研究员孙晨荟作音乐会的策划并主持介绍道：“音乐会的目的是为了告诉大家中国的基督教音乐经历过什么、还有什么、现在我们还能看到什么。音乐会选取了一部分优秀的中国风格作品，很多曲目都来自于1936年教会圣歌集《普天颂赞》。这是近现代最为重要的，也是近百年来神学和翻译水平达到巅峰的教会音乐歌本。”
“通过对这些由中国古典诗词和音乐改编而成的圣乐的鉴赏及对其创作历史的介绍，”北京教区李山主教在音乐会上讲述了其举办的意义，说：“我们不但被这些‘高度中国化’的教会音乐所浸润、滋养，更可以窥见教会先贤为了将福音广传中华大地所做出的圣乐中国化的努力。”他在闭幕辞中还说到，自唐代以来，教会古圣先贤在中华大地上便开始上下求索，砥砺前行，开拓创新，尝试福传路径，愿教会涌现出更多的英才俊杰，创作出更多优秀的圣乐作品。
最后，伴随着一首压轴曲目《中华合一弥撒·天主经》，音乐会掀起高潮，也渐渐落下帷幕。
另外，主办方为本次音乐会设有网上直播和回放，也吸引了很多无法前来教堂参加音乐会的教内外朋友。
https://www.christiantimes.cn/news/35882/
耶稣基督的中国面容 北京市天主教主办“唐代以来的中国圣乐”音乐会
A concert called “Chinese Church Music Since the Tang Dynasty” was held by Beijing Catholics in mid-October.
Live-streamed on October 16, the virtual concert received more than 50,000 views as the prologue of the recent seminar “The Chinese Face of Jesus Christ” which explored the Sinicization of Catholicism, was conducted on the same day.
Different styles of religious music were presented in the Church of the Savior in Beijing, covering the sacred music of Nestorianism, Catholicism, and Protestantism.
According to Tianguang (Heaven Light) Newspaper, an online Chinese-language Catholic news agency based in Beijing, the pieces which are mostly rooted in Chinese indigenous music were performed via traditional Chinese musical instruments in chronological order, spanning the dynasties and periods of Tang, Ming, Qing, the Republic of China, and modern times.
“The purpose of the concert is to show people what the Christian music in China has experienced, what has survived, and what we can enjoy at present.”
Some excellent works with Chinese characteristics were selected. Many were from Hymns of Universal Praise, a church hymnal published in 1936.
This is the most important church music hymnal in modern times, whose theological and translation levels reached their peak in the recent century,” said Sun Chenhui, associate researcher at the Institute of Music of the Chinese National Academy of Arts.
“Appreciating the sacred music adapted from Chinese classical poems and music and knowing their background, we are not only nurtured by these church music works which are ‘sinicized’ at a high level but also catch a glimpse at the efforts of church predecessors who strove to sinicize sacred music in order to preach the gospel throughout China,” said Joseph Li Shan, the Catholic Archbishop of Beijing.
The concert ended with a piece titled “The Lord’s Prayer”.
- Translated by Karen Luo
Beijing Catholics Hold “Chinese Church Music Since Tang Dynasty” Concert
