Composer Quoc Chung: The arduous task of songwriting

(Baonghean) - Songwriting came to musician Quoc Chung by chance. He first entered the songwriting profession with a song influenced by the Mong ethnic group's folk music, which his colleagues in the troupe sang and praised. That was the initial motivation for him to embark on a career of recreating life through music.

Composer Quoc Chung received the B Prize at the 2016 Vietnam Musicians Association Music Awards for his work "Brê Lai ơi cùng Giàng ơi". Photo: Internet

When he happily informed me that the song "Blê rai ơi cùng Giàng ơi" had won the B prize at the Vietnam Musicians Association Awards, I wasn't very surprised. From the first time I heard the trio from the Song and Dance Troupe perform this song, I had already found it to be both poignant and captivating, yet also exuding the spirited energy of the hardworking mountain men who loved conquering nature. It was a song that touched hearts from the very first notes. The song uses only three notes in the re-re melody, developing into a work written in a major key with three very tightly structured sections in terms of sound and lyrics.

Composer Quoc Chung shared: “This song won first prize at the Ho Xuan Huong Award in 2015, and it is the song about ethnic minorities that I cherish the most. During a field trip to the highland districts where many Khmu people live, I met many Khmu men who showed me their faith in life, their optimism in the face of hardship and difficulties, and their deep love for the women they love. The song “Ble Rai Oi Cung Giang Oi” was born from that precious experience.”

Within the stream of emotions distilled from the language of life, there are also generalizations about real-world issues, such as when he recreates and pays tribute to history with songs like "Hoa Truong Bon," "Remembering Dong Loc," and "Sacred Hong Linh," which were highly praised by experts and awarded the encouragement prize at the Ho Xuan Huong Award in 2015. According to him, to create a tribute work of political significance, the composer must first possess knowledge of compositional methods and techniques, and understand the historical meaning of the event…

Besides the content, the success of a song depends primarily on its catchy melody. Therefore, some songs can be completed in a single session, while others require months of writing and rewriting. Sometimes, even deciding on the order of a single note can take a week of deliberation. Because he frequently writes about themes of homeland and nation, his works often have a tight musical structure and long musical passages, making them suitable for professionally trained singers.

Listening to singers like Que Thuong, Thu Ha, and Vu Thang Loi perform, listeners can truly appreciate the beauty and ideas in his work. Most recently, when listening to Thanh Tai – a young singer with a lyrical folk voice and professional training – sing "Sacred Hong Linh," listeners feel a deep connection to the historical and contemporary values ​​of the sacred land of Lam Hong.

He often says that after completing the arrangement and orchestration for a piece, what he cherishes most is usually the arrangement for the string orchestra. Therefore, songs like "Hoa Truông Bồn," "Nhớ về Đồng Lộc," and "Linh thiêng Hồng Lĩnh" can all be arranged for choir. And when a song is arranged for choir, not only is its stature elevated, but listeners can also clearly feel the "essence" of Quoc Chung in his creations. For him, in his role as a composer and director of a provincial art troupe, recreating history, paying tribute, and igniting faith and love for life in the public is not only a duty but also a sacred mission.

Thanh Nga