Music Unlimited II: “From the Mountains of Taiwan” (來自台灣的高山) – “Malan Maiden” (馬蘭姑娘)

Included in “Chinese Choral Music Anthology: Music Unlimited II.”

About the Work

This a cappella suite on Indigenous themes is not a direct arrangement of Indigenous music. Rather, it is a set of sound sketches created by deconstructing Indigenous musical material and then recombining and collaging it, balancing high artistic value with real challenges for the singers. The work is in four parts: “Lullaby,” “Harvest Festival Song,” “Malan Maiden” and “I-Naaw A-Maaw.” Apart from the original lyrics, the texts often consist only of a few repeated phrases or vocables with no particular meaning. The compositional approach also differs in each of the four songs, the aim being to show the many possibilities of transforming Amis songs into choral works.

The melody of the third song, “Malan Maiden,” is known in every household in Taiwan, and it is one of the most famous Amis songs. In the lyrics, a girl asks her father and mother not to be so strict with her, because a young man from another family has now taken a liking to her.

Text: Shu Xi Chen