bayedsolid Chapter 537
Chapter 537
Flora wasn't exaggerating; Victor and his band all possess exceptional instrumental skills, unlike amateurs. As the lead singer, Victor has the advantage of being Black, with a rugged and powerful voice that brings a more passionate feel to this classic country rock song.
It had a unique flavor, and the audience loved it. When the song ended, there were screams and cheers from the crowd.
Foreigners have an advantage: influenced by the overall environment and culture, they are more outgoing, more proactive and positive in social situations, and the atmosphere at the university gathering was excellent.
A familiar old song warmed up the crowd, and then Victor and his group began to sing his own songs.
Lu Qingfeng listened carefully and found it surprisingly good. However, compared to country rock, this band's style was closer to southern rock.
Compared to country rock, Southern rock also originated in the United States, but it leans more towards hard rock. Its melodies not only contain country elements, but also blues elements and the boogie rhythm of early rock music.
However, it does indeed suit Victor's voice better.
The music became more unrestrained and free, and some people entered the venue to dance, simply swaying their bodies freely, creating a joyful atmosphere.
"Is Victor American?"
At Lu Qingfeng's table, Senior Sister Meng was also dragged off to dance by Olivia, leaving only Li Shibai and the other two. He asked Flora.
"Yes, from Memphis."
Not surprising then.
Memphis is the largest city in Tennessee, USA. The surrounding area used to be part of the Southern plantations, which needed a large number of black slaves, so Memphis was the largest human trafficking market.
Martin Rod King, the leader of the Black civil rights movement, died in this city.
This city also holds a very important place in American Southern culture, being the birthplace of rock and roll.
After singing five songs in a row, Victor and the others went offstage to rest and came to this table to ask Lu Qingfeng for his opinion.
Lu Qingfeng also shared his insights, which made the mixed-race man very happy, and he pulled him aside to talk about music.
The stage wasn't idle either; after Victor and his group left, other people went on stage to showcase their singing talents—students, teachers, and even elderly professors.
After Victor and his group returned to the stage for their performance, the party came to an end. The release of pent-up emotions quieted the crowd considerably, and some people began to leave.
"Lu, don't just sit there, go up and show us."
Flora then egged Lu Qingfeng on.
“I asked Vivian, and she said you sing very well, no less so than you do on the violin.”
Lu Qingfeng looked over and saw Senior Meng laughing and hiding behind Olivia.
He looked up at the sky with hazy eyes, and suddenly smiled.
"Okay."
The atmosphere was great, and after drinking quite a bit of beer, he was a little tipsy.
He borrowed a guitar from Victor and went up to the center of the stage.
As night deepened, people were scattered around the garden in twos and threes, chatting or playing music, while bar staff cleared away tables that were now empty of customers.
Mosquitoes swarm around the streetlights hanging on the wall, and when they face the light, they crash into the glass cover with a "plop" and die.
Lu Qingfeng sat on a high stool in the center of the stage, one foot on the ground and the other on the footrest, casually plucking a few strings, attracting attention.
The boy's face was a little red. Under the influence of alcohol, his face showed more emotions, and he became more lively and outgoing. His features, which resembled those of a god described in ancient Greek poetry, became even more vivid.
That made everyone around him smile knowingly.
How lovely and wonderful youth is!
Lu Qingfeng nodded and chuckled, then moved closer to the microphone.
"I'm sorry, I just arrived here from China yesterday, and my English isn't very good, so I composed a piece of music using the work of one of my favorite poets. I hope you all like it."
“Down By the Salley Garden”
clap clap clap!
applause.
Victor moved closer to his girlfriend and asked.
Whose poem is this?
Flora didn't even turn her head.
"Yeats".
William Butler Yeats, an Irish poet, playwright, and essayist, is best known in China for a poem called "When You Are Old."
"Down By the Salley Garden" is an early work by Yeats, but one can already feel the influence of Romanticism and Aestheticism on his writing style.
Moreover, when Yeats composed this song, he incorporated the rhythm of Irish folk songs and selected some simple monosyllabic and disyllabic words, giving it a strong singable quality.
A young man from China composed and sang a poem representing Ireland, and it was quite interesting to listen to.
Without keeping them waiting too long, Lu Qingfeng plucked the strings of his zither.
The ethereal and beautiful melody unfolds with a soothing rhythm. The minimalist notes create a poetic sensory world for the listener from the very beginning, melancholic yet affectionate, and deeply moving.
The garden, which had been noisy, fell silent, with only the sound of a guitar remaining.
While others focused on appreciating the music, Olivia heard something more in it.
The prelude is in D major, with the tonic chord broken up in the high register, creating a broad and natural image, which matches the word "garden" in the poem.
However, the frequent appearance of B-flat notes in the melody injects a touch of melancholy into the bright tone.
Because the theme of this poem is regret.
“Down by the salley gardens my loved I did meet”
(Deep in Sally's Garden, I met my beloved)
……
The boy's pure voice rang out. If the melody constructed a world from poetry for the audience, then the song infused that world with soul.
His pronunciation wasn't actually very good, but the emotional resonance made up for it all.
The gentle, narrative style guided the audience to experience the ideas the poet wanted to convey.
With its retro beat and flowing melody, the indigenous people of this country can clearly hear the traditional folk songs that belong to this continent in this tune.
Celtic music.
The Celts, one of the most representative ethnic groups in Europe, included modern-day Irish, Scottish Highlanders, Welsh, and Cornish.
The Irish music we often talk about today is actually a type of Celtic music.
The violin, harp, and bagpipes are the most prominent features of this type of music.
For those who don't know Lu Qingfeng, it's truly astonishing that a young man from China could compose a traditional Irish folk song using an Irish poem.
For Li Shibai and Olivia, it was acceptable.
Knowing how talented Lu Qingfeng was in music, and having learned more about him after what happened that afternoon, they knew he could compose.
Representing Peking University in this music exchange, I naturally had to learn about traditional British music.
Just like Olivia playing "The Butterfly Lovers".
But now Olivia realizes that she hasn’t prepared nearly enough for this event.
She was merely playing a traditional Chinese piece, yet the other party had already presented such an original composition on this occasion. How astonishing it would be during a formal cultural exchange!