Shih-Hui Chen's 'Song of Farewell' Plays a Voice of Guardianship, from Saisiyat Ancient Chants to Whale Songs

(Central News Agency, Taipei, 14th) Taiwanese-American composer Shih-Hui Chen has returned to Taiwan with her latest work, "Sisila ila ila Song of Farewell." This 70-minute musical piece blends elements such as ancient Saisiyat chants, shadow puppetry, and the sounds of whales. "I hope that these cultures and ecosystems on the verge of being lost can always be remembered," she said.

In an interview with the Central News Agency today, Shih-Hui Chen explained that "Song of Farewell" is an ancient Saisiyat chant. It was preserved in the 1970s through a folk song collection movement initiated by musicians like Shih Wei-Liang and Hsu Tsang-Houei, with funding raised by German Divine Word Missionary priest Alois Osterwalder.

Chen was invited to create a composition based on these collected recordings and chose "Song of Farewell." "In the Saisiyat language, the meaning is not a sad final farewell, but 'see you later.'"

Chen said this "see you later" deeply touched her. "Thanks to Father Osterwalder for supporting the Taiwanese folk song collection movement back then. These aboriginal or local Taiwanese songs had the chance to be preserved, allowing later generations like us to know the history of the past. If our generation does not get to know and do our part to preserve it, the culture will truly be gone forever." Inspired by "Song of Farewell," Chen began her creative journey.

Having lived in the United States for many years, Shih-Hui Chen is full of curiosity about tracing her Taiwanese roots. During the creative process, Chen expanded her vision from indigenous peoples to a global scale. She discovered that the United States also passed laws to protect endangered animals in the 1970s, initiating a global whale conservation movement, and Taiwan has long since caught up with the world. These two seemingly unrelated histories are both rooted in "guardianship"—the guardianship of precious voices and the guardianship of ecology became intertwined and part of the work.

Chen graduated from the National Taiwan University of Arts, studying under Ma Shui-long. She went to the United States for further studies in 1982 and obtained a doctorate in composition from Boston University. She has been teaching at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University since 2000, where she is currently a full professor. Chen has won major awards such as the American Academy of Arts and Letters award and the Rome Prize, and continues to publish new works.

To enrich the theatrical visuals, Chen collaborated with Taiwan's oldest surviving shadow puppet troupe, the Tung-Hua Shadow Puppet Theater. "What I want to do is contemporary shadow puppetry. I hope shadow puppetry doesn't just stop at 'Journey to the West,' but can be combined with contemporary issues and music." Through more than two years of communication, they created over 100 new shadow puppet figures, from violas to whales, from New York street scenes to cats, dogs, and cars, all flowing as images within the piece.

The performance features Taiwanese-American violist Hsin-Yun Huang as the protagonist, who not only plays but also sings, dances, and even plays the viola like a guitar. Doug Fitch, who has created several cross-disciplinary productions for the New York Philharmonic, will serve as the director, weaving together Saisiyat ancient chants, nostalgic folk songs, the deep-sea calls of humpback whales, and urban echoes into a sonic ritual about diaspora, looking back, and reunion.

Shih-Hui Chen's "Sisila ila ila Song of Farewell" will be performed from June 12 to June 14 at the Experimental Theater of the National Theater and Concert Hall. (Editor: Chen Ching-fang) 1150514