The Shaman, first written for percussion and orchestra, was arranged especially for the Taipei Chinese Orchestra by Simon Kong. It includes a number of traditional Chinese instruments, including: bamboo flutes, mouth organs, suona (a type of double reed wind instrument), Chinese bassoon, Chinese cimbalon (a musical soundbox with metal strings), Chinese banjo, Chinese lute, Chinese guitars, sanxian (Chinese lute with three strings), Chinese zither, gaohu, erhu and zhonghu (Chinese fiddles).
Ho has always been fascinated with the concept of shamanism. Practitioners of this tradition are known as "shamans", and they are believed to be the intermediaries between the human and spirit world. They treat physical ailments by mending the person's soul while connecting them to supernatural realms (by way of incantations, dance, music, and other methods). Being Chinese, Ho learned of their historical roles and significance in Asian cultures and their continued existence in modern day forms (eg. China, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, etc).
This edition is a facsimile of the original score provided by the composer.
Vincent Ho is a Canadian who is widely recognised as one of the most exciting composers of his generation. He has made waves in the music world of North America despite being fairly early in his compositional career, receiving numerous prizes, accolades, and prominent commissions in a relatively short space of time. Ho’s music is rich and energetic - a unique integration of influences ranging from the visual arts, electroacoustic and natural soundscapes, traditional classical music forms, and the physical properties of the instruments and ensembles for which he writes. His music is sensual, sonorous and richly textured, and Ho gives considerable attention to the audience’s experience of his intricate sound-worlds.
