Page 116 - The International Journal of the Royal Society of Thailand Vol.XIII-2021

The International Journal of the Royal Society of Thailand
Volume XIII – 2021

Besides the ceremony, Buddhist and Hindu chant not only create a unique

melodic pattern but also a distinctive recitation rhythm. By using chanting as
musical elements, it invokes the sacredness of the chant that adds cultural
meaning to the sound.

3. Folklore and symbol

Southeast Asia is rich with folklore and symbolism that is tied with daily life
of people in the region. This can be a mythical creature, such as Naga of the Khong

river or Burong and Rangda in Bali. I have used Naga as symbol of the third
movement in the composition Harmony of Chimes. The movement of Naga and its

power provides the composition character. It also helps in designing the instrument
that can provide the right tone color to represent Naga, for which I used Pii-nae, a
folk oboe of Northern Thailand.

The other example is Kala. Kala is a mythical creature of Hinduism that can
devour everything even himself, leaving only the face as the symbol. He is seen as
a stone relief above the entrance of Hindu temples. The legend of Kala and his

fierce monstruous character provides the theme of a movement in the composition,
Quintet for the Spirits of ASEAN. By using Kala as the symbol of the movement, it
requires new sound to portray this monster and his demonic action.

4. Geographic monument

Geographically, the mainland and maritime of Southeast Asia are full of
various wonderful scenic spaces and ancient ruins. National rivers, mountains,

waterfalls, flowers, cities, temples, and other monuments can serve as cultural
sources for composition. By adopting a landmark as the theme of a composition, it
provokes atmosphere, the life of the people in the area, and opens the sense of

imagination and impression of the place.

I have used many landmarks as the themes of my compositions. In the
Harmony of Chimes, the Thazin flower of Myanmar is used in the second

movement. This flower had been associated with the Burmese court in ancient
times; therefore, the cultural background and the delicacy of the flower provides

106 Southeast Asian Musical Heritages in Contemporary Composition