The sheng, an ancient reed instrument, stands out among Chinese instruments in both timbre and appearance. Once a main character in imperial court performances, being played for emperors and their wives a thousand years ago, the instrument often has a peripheral role in modern pieces. However, on March 22, the sheng took center stage and helped set a world record for Hong Kong.
On that day at Kai Tak Sports Park, over a thousand sheng and reeds players gathered under the sun. More than a third played the sheng, while the rest performed on other reed instruments including harmonicas, bagpipes and lushengs – belonging to the same category of instruments as the sheng. The premiere featured Thousand Reeds in Harmony, a song composed by renowned local composer Ng Cheuk-yin, and set a Guinness World Record for the largest ensemble of reed instruments.
Against the purple and blue scales of the stadium, musicians raised their shengs and played a story about the east, introducing a new era for reed instruments. To further share this joy with the public, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra also hosted a free event, the “Endless Sheng, Thousand Reeds in Harmony Marathon and Outdoor Evening Concert,” for many to experience a blend of Western and Eastern music. Yan Hui-chang, conductor and artistic director of HKCO, believes the enthusiasm from this event has given him hope that Chinese music will be passed down to future generations. This initiative not only universalized the sheng but also allowed the ancient instrument to shine in this modern world.
For 20 years, Yan has dreamt of organizing a sheng festival on such a scale. He said that the sheng is one of the few instruments where “every breath produces sound.” He also questioned, “with such a wonderful instrument, why couldn’t it become a popular instrument loved by everyone?”
Tang Hung-mun, 87, was the oldest performer for the free event. First encountering the sheng a few weeks before the show, he was immediately captivated by its sound. “The ancients were so skilled as to have created such an instrument,” he said.
Liu Yucheng, a child player from Shenzhen, has also recently taken up the sheng. He hoped that his performance that day would allow everyone to “see our country’s traditional instruments.”
Apart from the unique sounds of the sheng, the evening concert featured a musician dressed in traditional attire playing the lusheng while standing on his head, amazing crowds. The HKCO also paid homage to television soundtracks from The Legend of the Condor Heroes and The Bund.
The event attracted participants from 30 cities, with people from Hong Kong, mainland China, Taiwan, and South Korea. Players were aged four to 87, with those under 20 accounting for more than half of the total. Guinness World Record official adjudicator Jacob Yip noted 1,230 performers took part in the event, with a success rate of nearly 99 percent.
