[Korea Report] Gamin’s 3rd concert of eight sounds concert series held at hanok in Seoul

Gamin plays Saeng-Hwang, Korean traditional instrument on her 3rd concert of the Eight Sounds Concert Series on Friday, October 12. (Photo: Meidyana Rayana)

Gamin, Korean traditional instrument musician, held her third concert of four concert series. This time, the concert was held in a beautiful Hanok (traditional Korean house) in Seoul, Friday night (October 12).

Gamin played three kind of Korean traditional instrument and entertained the audience for a full one hour. She played Piri, a small instrument with a flute shape made of wood with a distinct sound that is close to trumpet’s sound.

She also played Saeng-Hwang, a unique wind instrument made of bamboo and metal. But it was a modern version of the instrument. Originally the Seng-Hwang’s metal part was made out of gourd.

Tae Pyeong So, was the last instrument Gamin played on her third concert. Tae Pyeong So is a Korean traditional trumpet.

Gamin brings a theme of Eight Sounds to her concert series. According to her press release, Pal-Eum (Eight Sounds) originally means eight tones, indicating materials of musical instruments that consist of the Korean court music ‘A-ak’.

The Eight elements are geum (metal), seok (stone), sa (silk), juk (bamboo), po (gourd), to (clay), hyuk (skin), and mok (wood).

Each concerts presents two elements to the audience. The first concert of Seok and Geum (stone and Metal) was held in 2010 at Gukak Museum, created a mystic atmosphere for the audience while listening to the sound of Gamin’s playing her Korean traditional instrument and seeing the museum’s exhibition.

The second concert brought to live the sounds of Sa and Juk (Silk and Bamboo). On this concert, Gamin played five new compositions that were composed to bring out the beauty and explore Piri’s sound.

According to Anthony Paul de Ritis, one of the composers, she created the piece to search for another voice of widely expressive Piri, told on the press release.

Last Friday’s concert brought the beauty of Po and Mok (Gourd and Wood). She presented a very essential and representative old repertory of Korean folk music, accompanied by digital sounds of wood and gourd filled up the interval between her playing.

Audience were sitting in the middle of a very authentic garden inside the Korean folk house while listening to her music, brought audience’s mind to a beautiful life of an ancient Korean kingdom.

After the concert, audience was served with Korean traditional cake, kimchi, tea and makkoli (Korean traditional liquor made of rice).

Gamin is planning to hold her last concert of The Eight Sounds Concert Series next year, 2013. The last concert will represent the last two elements of To and Hyuk (Clay and Skin).

Meidyana Rayana Intern Reporter news@theasian.asia