The second concert in this year’s K-music festival.
K-music 2019: Celebrate Pansori
Sunday 6 October 2018, 7:30pm
Kings Place (Hall One) | 90 York Way | London N1 9AG
Tickets £15 + booking fee | Book tickets
The Korea Pansori Preservation Association preserves the rich history of traditional Korean opera, studying the art and sharing its joy and charm throughout the modern world. The company consists of Living National Treasures, holders of Important Intangible Cultural Assets and their Senior students.
At this show, twelve highly respected vocalists and live musicians to tell these ancient stories that still resonate today.
There are five surviving stories within Korea’s pansori tradition, and this concert will present selected extracts from; Jeokbyukga, Simcheongga, Heungboga, Chunhyangga and Sugungga – each performed in Korean with English surtitles and reference images.
Jeokbyukga – ‘’Song of the Red Cliff’ sings of the fiercest battle, Jeokbyeok, from the Chinese novel Samgukji, The Records of the Three Kingdoms.
Simcheongga – a devoted daughter, Simcheong, sacrifices herself for her blind father by falling in to the sea and is reincarnated, with the help of the Dragon King, to open her father’s eyes. ‘Begging For Food For Her Father’ is one of the saddest songs in this piece.
Heungboga – this humorous pansori tells the tale of the poor but generous Heungbo and his wealthy but greedy brother Nol-bo. ‘Breaking a Calabash’ is the climax that sees Heungho finally become rich having received a fortune from the calabash which a swallow had given to him as a reward.
Chunhyangga – describing a love that overcomes class barriers, this is a love story between Seong Chun-hyang and Lee Mongryong, the son of the newly appointed Minister in the southern area, Namwon. ‘Sarangga’ (Love Song) is the most famous song of the entire piece.
Sugungga – a loyal tortoise goes out to hunt for rabbit liver to save the Dragon King under the sea. Although the tortoise attracts the rabbit and brings it to the subaqueous kingdom, with cunning, satire and humour the rabbit then escapes the Dragon King by disguising itself as another animal.
This performance will be surtitled in English
