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Jiang Xiaosong, inheritor of Gaoqiang in Yuexi County, Anhui Province

Perhaps in other people's eyes, the inheritor of national intangible cultural heritage is more of an honor, but in Chiang's own view, it means more of a responsibility. From 2008 to September 2011, he continued to receive apprenticeship and singing. Among his first batch of disciples, 14 were Jiang canhuang, who taught more than 40 items of "Yuexi Gaoqiang" Xiqu and Zhengxi opera. Under his advocacy, Tian TouRen set up the "Samsung Lantern Festival" to inherit Gaoqiang, and organized a large number of young people to participate in the learning and singing of Gaoqiang.

"Langyuan Penglai, auspicious clouds and auspicious Mist & hellip; & hellip;", beautiful dance, original singing and lively accompaniment. On January 4, at Tiantou township cultural station in Yuexi County, Jiang xiaosend and his disciples were rehearsing Yuexi Gaoqiang, preparing to offer an ancient cultural 'feast' for his father and fellow villagers during the Spring Festival.

Yuexi Gaoqiang, with a history of more than 300 years, is called the "living fossil" in the history of traditional Chinese opera by opera experts. It is a legacy of the ancient Qingyang tune that swept the whole country during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty. At that time, Qingyang tune was as famous as Kunqiang opera, known as "Shidiao Qingkun". Since the late Qing Dynasty, Yuexi Gaoqiang has been on the verge of crisis for several times. After the founding of new China, Yuexi county government has set up a professional high pitched opera troupe to inherit and study Yuexi Gaoqiang. However, after the 1960s, due to the serious damage of historical materials and the shrinking of the activities of non-governmental organizations, Yuexi Gaoqiang was lack of successors and faced the danger of extinction again.

As the inheritor of Yuexi Gaoqiang established by the State Council, the 77 year old Jiang xiaosend established the Tiantou Township folk high tune Opera Society. Modern elements were integrated into the original singing, and string accompaniment was added to change the monotonous feeling of Yuexi Gaoqiang Qingchang, so that the ancient opera was rejuvenated with life glory. In the spring of 1948, Jiang Xiaosong learned to sing Gao Qiang from Fang Shu Jiang Yanfang, and played xiaoliu'er in Gaoqiang Zhengxi "Jiaozi". He was only 13 years old at that time. He sang in a formal manner and with a clear and round voice, which won the unanimous praise of the audience and the approval of the teacher. From then on, he began his 65 year performing career.

Jiang xiaosend plays LV MENGZHENG in the main play "Nao Xiangfu". He is very popular with the audience because of his elegant appearance and beautiful singing voice. People from all over the country rushed to tiantoufan to see his play. In March 1954, fans of Huanggang in Taihu County, which is more than 50 miles away from Tiantou, specially invited Tiantou troupe to sing. Jiang xiaosend and other actors worked hard to get there. Local people, men and women, old and young, vied to watch. Mr. Jiang xiaosend and all the actors and actresses devoted their learning to singing. They sang for more than 20 nights in a row, with more than 30 plays. This shows the charm of Tiantou's high tune!

Years can not hide the unique charm of Yuexi Gaoqiang, an ancient rare drama. In May 2006, Yuexi Gaoqiang was listed as one of the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage representative works by the State Council. According to the statistics of relevant local departments, Yuexi Gaoqiang now has more than 200 plays and more than 100 vocal recordings. There are only dozens of folk artists and professional actors who can sing Yuexi Gaoqiang in the whole county. Perhaps in other people's eyes, national inheritors are more of an honor, and in Jiang Xiaozai's opinion, it means a kind of responsibility.

From 2008 to September 2011, he continued to receive apprenticeship and singing. Among his first batch of disciples, 14 were Jiang canhuang, who taught more than 40 items of "Yuexi Gaoqiang" Xiqu and Zhengxi opera. He taught and sang every song in person, and some plays were more than a hundred times, often forgetting to eat or sleep all night. Under his advocacy, Tian TouRen set up the "Samsung Lantern Festival" to inherit Gaoqiang, and organized a large number of young people to participate in the learning and singing of Gaoqiang.

There are more than 250 operas in Yuexi Gaoqiang, and the repertoires are divided into two categories: Xiqu and Zhengxi. "Xiqu" was introduced into Yuexi early, but few of them are very simple in plot and practical in content. It is directly performed in various folk activities, such as singing "Tianguan blessing" at the Lantern Festival. "Zhengxi" occupies the mainstream of Yuexi Gaoqiang repertoire, led by the legendary plays of the Ming Dynasty, with a wide range of themes and diverse styles. There are two forms of performance: one is "Wai Gu", which is a kind of Qingchang, in which the May 7th artists sit around the drum, each holding a percussion instrument, and led by a drummer. The other is the dominant form of Yuexi Gaoqiang performance, which is performed in disguise. Yuexi Gaoqiang artists are divided into 10 lines: Zhengsheng, Zhengdan, Xiaosheng, Xiaodan, Jing, Chou, Mo, Fu, Wai and ZA. They play the characters in the drama and basically follow the professional role system of Qingyang tune.

One of the characteristics of Yuexi Gaoqiang is the integration of singing and folk customs, and special 'thematic repertoire' must be sung on specific occasions. For example, Shouxi opera should sing "Qingshou", "Qiushou", "Shangchao", etc., and he Xinwu should sing "guanmenlou", "Xiuzao" and "Hewu". Some performances also have certain rituals and procedures, forming a fixed 'Opera custom'. For example, "Nao embroidery" is used to "make trouble in the new house". First, sing "Guan men Lou" outside the gate, sing "Guo Fu" when passing through the central hall after entering the gate, and sing "sitting room" when sitting at the Tangxuan, and then enter the new house after taking a short rest with tea smoke. Less than a dozen, more than dozens, often all night long, full of fun and rest.

Over the years, Jiang Xiaozai spared no effort to participate in teaching, singing and learning activities, and the enthusiasm of the masses of Tiantou township to love and sing high pitched tunes is warming up again. In order to celebrate the 30th anniversary of reform and opening up, the county government organized a grand literary and artistic performance. In the spirit of continuous innovation and making the past serve the present, according to the tone of the traditional Gao Qiang drama "Da Shu Fu", Jiang Xiaobao made a few changes, filled in new words, and made a new Gaoqiang Wai drum to sing "happy song of the new face of the countryside", singing the whole county. 'There are many roads, cement pouring & hellip; & hellip; tea hugging, sangbigao, & hellip; & hellip; no tax paid for farming & hellip; & hellip; free school & hellip; & hellip; dangen & Tiangao & hellip; 'the melodious high pitched voice flies out of the shade of the trees, reverberating everywhere in the mountains and far away.