Abstract
Folk music from the Han ethnic group exemplifies the richness and variety of Chinese cultural heritage. Over the course of 5,000 years, folk song has evolved into a highly developed form of artistic expression. Chinese Han folk songs are as artistically sophisticated as vocal compositions in other languages, such as the French Chanson the or German Volkslied. However, these repertoires are still somewhat underperformed on a global scale on average, perhaps due to unfamiliarity with the language and a lack of access to Chinese dictionaries with pronunciation.
This project will include a historical overview of Han folk songs and its practices. It will describe common sub-genres of Han folk music by poetic theme and geographic regions. Second, it will provide a general overview of performance practices for Han folk songs, detailing authentic vocal timbre, vibrato, accompaniment, rhythm and meter, tempo, and ornamentation techniques. Finally, a specific performance practice guide for selected culturally significant Han folk songs will be provided. This guide will be accompanied by a lecture recital demonstrating these selected Han folk songs in both traditional and Western bel canto styles.