2022 Ju Percussion Group Annual Concert A Hero’s Radiance –– Chiang, Wei-Shui Awakens Taiwan

A Hero’s Radiance –– Chiang, Wei-Shui Awakens Taiwan

Fearlessly forging ahead ceaselessly pursuing freedom and justice the hero shines a brief but radiant light
 

A hundred years ago, during the Japanese Taisho Democracy period that followed World War I, intellectuals of the Taiwanese Cultural Association drew up various blueprints for creating an ideal homeland, enriching Taiwanese society with nutrients drawn from diverse thought trends. It was a period of cultural transition between old and new, a golden age of intellectual awakening!

Director Lee, Hsiao-Ping , scriptwriter Shih, Ju-Fang, and composers Hung, Chien-Hui, Koji Sakurai, Yang, Tsu-Yao, and Tsai, Yun-Tien revisit that glorious era, presenting scenes from the life of democracy pioneer Chiang Wei-Shui in music. The rich sounds and imaginative scenarios recapture the years of Taiwan’s intellectual awakening, immersing audiences in the world of Chiang Wei-Shui’s life and the times.

The brisk rustle of the writing brush, the metallic clang of prison chains and shackles… The rich, percussive tonalities not only represent the historic Taiwanese Cultural Association but also embody Chiang Wei-Shui’s century-spanning call to modern society. Choral and theatrical elements, instrumental music, and vocals intertwine and resonate, inviting us to follow sonic clues and trace history's vestiges, urging us to ponder how our forbears’ ceaseless struggles and penetrating insights opened the way for the freedom of expression we enjoy today.