Mankind (人) - Movement 3 from Tian Di Ren He Suite (feat. Calligrapher Grace Chen Liang)

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Description

We display our signature fusion sound in the third installation of the Heaven, Earth, Mankind and Unity suite. In Mankind (人), we've incorporated a jazzy style of blues into the traditional Chinese music inspired piece. The third phrase of Hua Yanjun's Moon on Erquan Spring (二泉映月) exudes despair and in the West, blues is often sung laments and the combination of the musical styles, add to the fragility of mankind portrayed in TENG’s interpretation. The fluctuating movements in this piece are profound and philosophical which guides the listener to close their eyes and find the depiction of mountains, waters, skies and earth within the music. This piece was previously performed under the title of Moon Rising.

Calligrapher Grace Chen Liang creates Jing Guan (静观) with her left hand, which embodies the contemplation amid an ever-changing modern world through rustic brushstrokes. The work presents the idea of guidance by stillness (静) and observation (观) through the hustle and bustle of mankind in the modern-day. Especially relevant during such volatile times, we hope that through this somber piece we are reminded of our humanity and be further united through music.
*This music video is presented as part of the Singapore Chinese Music Festival 2021.
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A video by The TENG Ensemble
Creative Director: Dr Samuel Wong
Composer: Chow Junyi
Music Producer: Huang Peh Linde
Recording and Mixing: Poco Productions
Production Manager: Cherlyn Chong

Music video produced by Widewall Pictures
Calligraphy by Grace Chen Liang

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Musicians:
Darrel - Erhu
Joel - Keyboard
Gerald - Cello
Jiwei - Sheng
Leonard - Guitar
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𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗲
The TENG Ensemble is a critically acclaimed Singaporean Chinese fusion music group that bridges between cultures East and West, boasting musical influences from both the traditional and the contemporary.

As a collective of music educators, scholars and award-winning instrumentalists, the Ensemble’s performances have been a staple in Singapore’s arts scene since 2009. At the 2015 National Day Rally, The TENG Ensemble was described by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong as ‘creating something uniquely Singapore’.

The group has performed at events such as the ASEAN Tourism Forum, TEDxPetaling Street, Youth Olympic Games, Shanghai World Expo, Singapore Day in Melbourne, George Town Festival and Singapore International Jazz Festival.

The Ensemble's first music album titled Eight (Ba) was released in 2013. This was followed by Stories From an Island City in 2016 and Heirlooms in 2019 - both of which were awarded 4.5 out of 5 stars by The Straits Times and highly regarded by several other media outlets, while Stories From an Island City was ranked number 1 on Hong Kong’s iTunes World Music chart.

Website: http://www.thetengcompany.com
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Email: info@thetengcompany.com