Inspired by a shared curiosity of the after-life in different cultures.
Please attend in ghostly costumes!
In a world where mystical creatures and spirits roam across the
stage, the artists explore the philosophy of yin and yang to search
for a connection between humans and the spirits, expressed
through abstraction and suggestion. With the combination of Asian
esthetics and modern video technology, they are inspired by a
shared curiosity of the after-life. Through the practices of music,
dance, media arts, and scenographic installations, the artist explore legends and folk tales of their own cultures, including
Canada, Taiwan, China, Europe, and Indonesia. The Ghost Project
tells the story of a love that breaks the boundary between life and
death, depicts different shapes and forms of ghost images, and
celebrates joy and sorrow in cycles of life.
The music in The Ghost Project combines the modes, rhythms, and interlocking patterns in Indonesian gamelan music, with the lyrical phrasings and breath in Chinese music, and the harmonies and precision in western music. Animated visuals and Chinese calligraphy are projected on seven screens to provide a mysterious backdrop.
watch videos from the premiere Oct, 2008. zheng performed by previous member Gelina Jiang
Ghost Project trailer
Created by Aleksandra Dulic as a promo clip for the Ghost Project. The music is performed by the Orchid Ensemble (Lan Tung - erhu, previous member Gelina Jiang - zheng, and Jonathan Bernard - percussion), with special guests Sutrisno Hartana - vocal and percussion, and Kenneth Newby - gender. The music is entitled Suksma, composed by Sutrisno Hartana
Suksma in an old Javanese language that means spirit, soul, abstract, maya. It refers to the world of spirit that is unseen. There are two types of suksma i.e.; langgeng (peace) and nglembara (wandering spirits or ghosts). Usually the suksma langgeng refers to the peaceful, and in contrast suskma nglembara refers to the ghostly. The concept of birth, life, death, birth, live, death is a good example of cyclical journey of suksma. Using the deep feeling and musical intensity that is taken from Chinese Erhu, Zheng, Marimba, Gender, and percussions, this music is meant a try to interact with the spirit.
The Ghostly Moon is a music theatre work inspired by the tradition of Chinese ghost stories, many of which are centred on a female ghost who wishes to return to life. In this case, the story combines elements and poetry from many different sources from the 16th to the 18th centuries, and portrays the ghost as a wronged woman who returns for vengeance. However, the young scholar she visits is the brother of the man who betrayed her, and once she hears his voice she realizes this is her true lover. To return to life she must join with him as his wife, which is the outcome of many of the traditional Chinese tales. The disembodied theatrical effects from traditional Chinese drama suggested a contemporary treatment with electroacoustic techniques.
Ghosts of the living depicts characters who breathe, act, and haunt the well-being of others as ghosts. Piece focuses on paradoxical and ironic dual nature of such beings. Ghosting acts as a function that binds distinct melodic modes and tonal centres to form a composite modal system, it also creates a framework for the polyrhythm.
Partners for the premiere - The Roundhouse Community Centre, Taiwanese Canadian Cultural Society, Vancouver Community College, and Westcoast Sacred Arts Society.
Sponsors - the Canada Council’s Inter-Arts program, BC Arts Council, Arts Now, the SOCAN Foundation, Taiwan’s Overseas Compatriot Affairs Commission.
