The er-hu on the Western Front

Subject: The er-hu on the Western Front
From: Jack Campin
Date: 07 Nov 14 - 11:27 AM

Now is something I didn't know about. A talk at the Royal Academy of Music in London:

http://www.ram.ac.uk/events?event_id=2834

Chinese New Year on the Western Front
Tuesday 18 November 2014, 7:00 pm, Museum Galleries

Probably the earliest surviving footage of an instrument from the Chinese erhu family in performance comes not from China itself but from troops of the Chinese Labour Corps celebrating Chinese New Year on the Western Front during the First World War. Academic Studies lecturer Dr Colin Huehns examines these films amongst other early clips and still photography which include erhu performance. Musical examples will be played on erhu variants — the banhu and jinghu — as well as erhu pieces from Shandong province, the region of China from which the Chinese Labour Corps was principally recruited.

This event complements the Academy Museum's current exhibition, War Music: Notes from the First World War, which runs until March 2015.

Free, no tickets required

Subject: RE: The er-hu on the Western Front
From: GUEST,BanjoRay
Date: 07 Nov 14 - 11:37 AM

In your link the picture shows two Tommies playing banjo ukuleles. I wonder why no erhus?

Subject: RE: The er-hu on the Western Front
From: Jack Campin
Date: 07 Nov 14 - 11:46 AM

The same picture is used for all the events in their lecture series about music in WW1.

Subject: RE: The er-hu on the Western Front
From: GUEST,Blandiver (Astray)
Date: 07 Nov 14 - 11:53 AM

How odd - just found my erhu today in a pile of fiddle cases. I thought it had gone the journey long ago. Maybe it'll be just the thing to accompany some Kipling-Bellamy Barrack Room Ballads...

Subject: RE: The er-hu on the Western Front
From: Jason Xion Wang
Date: 08 Nov 14 - 10:22 AM

My father once said he could play some erhu. I've never seen him play, though. I know he could play some fiddle.

One of my friends is in a Chinese band playing the erhu.

Jason