Multi part folk song (chaoerdao Mongolian Chorus)

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: multi voice folk song

Applicant: Xilinhot City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region

Item No.: 61

Project No.: Ⅱ - 30

Time of publication: 2008 (second batch)

Category: Traditional Music

Region: Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region

Type: Extension Project

Applicant: Xilinhot City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region

Protection unit: Xilinhot Cultural Center

Introduction to multi part folk song (chaoerdao Mongolian chorus singing)

Applicant: Xilinhot City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region

Polysyllabic folk songs refer to folk songs with polysyllabic structure. Chinese polysyllabic folk songs are mainly concentrated in more than ten ethnic minorities, such as Zhuang, Dong, Buyi, Gaoshan, Maonan, Jiajia, Miao and Yi. Most of them adopt two part form, and a few are three part and four part art.

Chaoerdao is a unique singing form with a long history, which is mainly spread in Xilinhot City and some areas of Abaga banner in Xilingol League of Inner Mongolia. It originated at the end of the 12th century and the beginning of the 13th century, and reached its peak at the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty. Chaoerdao is not only sung in the palace, but also widely used in temples, folk banquets and sacrificial ceremonies.

Chaoerdao is a unique Mongolian multi part music, which shows that there is a continuous bass part under the melody. This bass part can only be attached to the high tune melody and can not exist independently. When singing, an excellent long key singer sings the graceful and jumping melody with a high voice, and several other singers sing the bass part with a thick throat voice, forming a continuous bass below the melody. Chaoerdao adopts Gong and Zheng modes with long melody and free rhythm, which is suitable for the expression of the national spirit of the ancient Mongols in the harsh natural environment. Chaoerdao combines short words with long songs, with special forms of beginning and ending, which can give full play to the characteristics of long tune music. Secondly, the art of voice chorus presents a solemn, deep and delicate artistic style. The extensive application of five eight harmony enhances the support of music function and artistic appeal, which is unique in Chinese multi voice folk songs. The representative works of chaoerdao include Genghis Khan, hudhile, sunrise and so on.

Chaoerdao is the representative of grassland culture and the crystallization of Mongolian music. It attracts people's attention with the perfection of melody, the uniqueness of harmony, the scientificity of mode and the complexity of music form. It can be called the leader of Mongolian folk music. In recent years, with the death of the old generation of famous chaoerdao singers, chaoerdao is on the verge of extinction. It is urgent to formulate specific measures to rescue and protect it.