DESCRIPTION:
It is What it is!

Zhuangzi (莊子) was an influential Chinese philosopher who lived around the 4th
century BC during the Warring States Period, corresponding to the Hundred
Schools of Thought philosophical summit of Chinese thought.

昔者莊周夢為胡蝶，栩栩然胡蝶也，自喻適志與！不知周也。俄然覺，
則蘧蘧然周也。不知周之夢為胡蝶與，胡蝶之夢為周與？周與胡蝶，
則必有分矣。此之謂物化。

Formerly, I, Zhuang Zhou (Zhuangzi), dreamt that I was a butterfly, a butterfly flying about, feeling that it was enjoying itself. I did not know that it was Zhou. Suddenly I awoke, and was myself again, the veritable Zhou. I did not know whether it had formerly been Zhou dreaming that he was a butterfly, or it was now a butterfly dreaming that it was Zhou.
But between Zhou and a butterfly there must be a difference. This is a case of what is called the Transformation of Things.'

Beginning with murmuring of the clarinets and followed by the sheng solo, which plays in alternation with the wind, brass, string. The combinations of the solo and the ensemble are treated horizontally in direction. With the uses of traditional sheng techniques, flower tongues, blowing tongues, and frequent glissandos, leading the ensemble to a crest.

The solo continues as a leader role in the second section, while the ensemble changes; becomes irregular ornaments and fragmentized to decorate the sheng melody vertically. The sheng gradually develops independently and individually.
Sheng is a strong sounding medium. I would like to create a new character for it with other instruments with banding it. When it is coupling with western ensemble, it is still what it is, but also give birth to a new thing.

Sheng solo: Loo Sze Wang
Conductor: Stephen Burns