An Intriguing Journey of a Westerner in Pursuit of the Eastern Guqin
Jointly organized by CW Chu College, S.H. Ho College, and the Department of Music, CUHK, “Music beyond Sound: an American’s World of Guqin” screening, performance and discussions was held at the Theatre of Chan Chun Ha Hall on 28 November, 2022, where students and staff members filled the venue. The evening featured a documentary film, Music beyond Sound: an American’s World of Guqin, followed by Mr. John Thompson’s captivating live performance, and a discussion session.
Mr. John Thompson, a renowned American guqin master, and Mr. Lau Shing-hon, the producer and director of the documentary film, had a cordial discussion with students and staff members in the cultural event.
Completed in 2019, Music beyond Sound: an American’s World of Guqin tells the story of Mr. John Thompson and his quest to master the art of guqin, a plucked seven-string instrument which is favoured by scholars and literati and said to have a thousand years’ history. At the beginning, Mr. Lau only planned to record the music performances of Mr. Thompson but when he discovered more about Mr. Thompson’s dedication and importance, he decided to make a featured documentary and spent ten years on it.
As a child, Mr. Thompson learnt to plan the piano and violin, and obtained a bachelor’s degree in musicology and a master’s degree in Asian studies. He went to Taiwan in 1974 to study qin with guqin master Mr. Sun Yuqin, then with Dr Tong Kin Woon in 1976 when he came to Hong Kong, in which he settled and with which he developed a lasting relationship. Spending close to five decades on the art of guqin, Mr. Thompson constructed the music based on his interpretation of 15th and 16th century guqin tablatures and recorded over two hundred of them. This is the largest number of pieces recorded by a single player. He is one of the most listened players, with his website gaining thousands of daily hits. Mr. Thompson has contributed much to the communities of art and music. He has performed and taught guqin to audience around the globe with a diverse portfolio of collaborative performances with artists from near and far.
Co-organised by colleges and a department, the event aimed to enrich cultural understanding among the University community. The evening with film, music and discussions opened the guests and audience’s eyes, minds and hearts, and provided them a rare insight into a westerner’s keen spirit to revive the tradition and development of eastern qin with contemporary expression exemplary of cultural exchange between the East and West.
Mr. Lau Shing-hon, the producer and director of Music beyond Sound: an American’s World of Guqin.
From left: Prof. Frederick Lau, Mr. John Thompson and Mr. Lau Shing-hon at the discussion session.
Film screening.
Welcome remarks by Prof. Vincent Mok, Master of S.H. Ho College.
Prof. Wong Suk-ying, Master of CW Chu College, introduces the event and guests.
Prof. Frederick Lau, Chairman of the Department of Music, moderates the discussions.
