In A Faraway Land 在那遥远的地方

Wang Luobin, one of the most renowned Chinese songwriters and earliest ethnic music researchers wrote the song in 1939 in Qinghai Province while shooting a film near Qinghai Lake. He met a young Tibetan girl and wrote a song about the beautiful impression that she left upon him and all those around her. The song is set to the tune of a Kazakh folk song that Wang had collected in the area, and it’s famous for its ethnic complexity. This traditional Chinese tune is rearranged to a SATB chorus by Lemon Guo and a Chinese chamber ensemble including guzheng, pipa, erhu, dizi and Chinese drum by Sophia Shen. Performed by Savannah Thieme, Kristina Warren, Connie Zhenyue Huang, Moira Lennon, Pat Burns, Brian Roy, Steve Sun, John Xia, and UVa Chinese Music Ensemble, for Lemon Guo & Sophia Shen's Distinguished Major Composition Recital.

Video recorded by Travis Thatcher at Old Cabell Hall, University of Virginia. Photo by Peng Peng.