Composer Le Ham of 'Vinh, City of Dawn' has passed away.

His passing leaves behind immense sorrow for his family, loved ones, and especially the audience in Vinh City, the place where he was deeply connected and where he wrote the song "Vinh, City of the Dawn" - a song known as the city's anthem.

Composer Lê Hàm was born in 1934 in Diễn Hồng commune (Diễn Châu district). From a young age, he had a special connection with music, crafting a bamboo flute from papaya leaf stems to play melodies inspired by his mother's lullabies. Later, during the years 1948-1951,Le HamHe had only recently received formal music training. With a remarkable talent for the flute, he was determined to pursue a career in music and became a performing artist for the 320th Division.

From 1955 to 1961, he studied at the Vietnam Music School. After graduating, he was assigned to the Vinh Linh front line to serve our soldiers on the north bank of the Ben Hai River.

In 1964, Le Ham was transferred to teach at the Central School of Music and Fine Arts, but shortly afterward, Ha Tinh province invited him to become the head of the Ha Tinh Performing Arts Troupe. His musical career was intertwined with positions related to the artistic environment. This was also the opportunity and the source of his improvisational compositions, which nonetheless foreshadowed a brilliant musical career that would follow.

It was during the fierce days of war that he composed songs like "Girls of the La River," "The Soldiers of the Ferry," and "The Glorious Victory of Ha Tinh"... Later, in 1964, "Girls of the La River" - one of the songs with a strong folk and traditional style, rarely seen in his song collections - was broadcast on the Voice of Vietnam Radio; later, it was one of the songs in the collection for which he was honored with the State Award.

From 1970 to 1977, he successively held the positions of Head of the Ha Tinh Dance and Music Troupe, Director of the Nghe An Provincial Labor Culture House, and Standing Vice Chairman of the Nghe An Arts and Literature Association. He retired in 1997.

Composer Lê Hàm also made significant contributions to fieldwork and collection efforts to find ancient melodies for the folk songs and chants of Nghệ Tĩnh. Later, he served as the chief editor of the book "Folk Music of Nghệ An," which was highly regarded by the music community.

In 1970, after compiling 30 folk songs, he had them published as an anthology of Nghe An folk songs by the Ha Tinh Arts Association. These songs became familiar performances by art troupes from both Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces. Songs like "Boat Swimming Song," or those developed from the folk melodies, were rewritten by Le Ham, and many subsequent generations of folk singers mistakenly believe them to be the original melodies of the folk songs.

Mentioning "Vinh, City of Dawn," people immediately think of the theme song of Vinh City Radio and Television Station, and the "City Anthem" of Vinh – a vibrant and affectionate young city. "Vinh, City of Dawn" has a lyrical, poignant melody, yet it is also lively and passionate, reflecting the composer's feelings about Vinh. From its initial release to the present day, whenever Vinh is mentioned or visited, people want to sing the cheerful and exuberant melody of "Vinh, City of Dawn."

Throughout his life as a composer, he wrote over 200 songs, including children's songs that were selected for textbooks, and suites for choirs. However, for him, songs like "The Mother of Lang Sen Village," "Vinh, City of Dawn," "Girls of the La River," and "The Lang Sen Festival" are the ones that have captivated audiences and been honored by music lovers on numerous stages, both large and small.

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In 2022, composer Le Ham was awarded the State Prize for Literature and Arts for his collection of musical works: The Mother of Lang Sen Village, The Girl of the La River, Vietnam in Our Hearts, The Drum Sound on a Moonlit Night, and Ha Tinh, Our Homeland.

Thanh Nga