London Korean Links

Covering things Korean in London and beyond since 2006

On hearing the first court nightingale: Reflections on music in Korea in the 1970s

An interesting talk later this month at the KCC:

On First Hearing the Court Nightingale

Reflections on Music in Korea in the 1970s
Emeritus Professor Keith Pratt (University of Durham)

Date & Time: Wednesday, 28th April 2010 6.30pm
Venue: Multi-purpose Hall, Korean Cultural Centre
Email to [email protected] or call +44(0)20 7004 2600 to reserve your place

Keith PrattKeith Pratt is Emeritus Professor of Chinese at the University of Durham. When he first went to Korea in the early 1970s he had never heard Korean traditional music and knew nothing about it, but it proved to be the key that would unlock a new cultural world for him. It was a time that coincided with a revival in the fortunes of ‘national music’ (gugak), and Keith Pratt was there to study it and observe its renaissance. Among the great scholars and performers who assisted him were Yi Hye-ku, Chang Sahun, Kim Ch’on-hung, Hwang Byonggi, Kim So-hee, and Lee Chae-suk. He heard personal accounts of what it meant to perform at the Joseon court, and he helped to introduce it to modern audiences in the UK.

Everlasting FlowerAs a teacher of Chinese history Keith Pratt’s research focused on cultural links between imperial China and Korea. Among his books are Korean Music: its History and Interpretation, Korea, a Historical and Cultural Dictionary (with Richard Rutt), Old Seoul, and most recently Everlasting Flower, a history of Korea that stresses the interplay between culture and politics. He is a past President of the British Association for Korean Studies, and has been honoured by the Korea Foundation for his contribution to the wider understanding of Korea.

** The lecture will include a raffle to win the book ‘Everlasting Flower’ by Emeritus Professor Keith Pratt (5 copies)**

Refreshments will be served before and after the talk in the Reception area.

2 thoughts on “On hearing the first court nightingale: Reflections on music in Korea in the 1970s

  1. Wow, there’s a blast from the past…despite spending 4 years studying around him, I never figured out and always wondered how good his Korean is…

Leave a Reply to daeguowl Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.