CUCCS0016 Eventide 黃昏 (SATB)

黃昏

Eventide (SATB) 謝基信 曲、詞

Music and Words by Gershom Tse

CU Chorus Choral Series

CUCCS0016

樂曲介紹 《黃昏》於2017年譜成，距離我初為自由身合唱音樂創作人，已有七年光景。創作此曲時， 我開始明白作品必須發自作曲家的生命。單單以現成的文學作品為詞入樂，漸漸不能滿足我的 藝術追求。而此曲正是我首次嘗試中文歌詞創作，也許稚嫩，但當中表達的卻更貼近我心所 想。《黃昏》很大程度受何其芳 (1912-1977) 的同名散文詩 發。原詩場景是一個荒涼小鎮 上的無人街道，可是我一向最愛在海邊看夕陽，喜歡看著太陽在海平面後緩緩消失，也愛凝視 那充滿神秘感的茫茫大海，我最終選擇了以大海作此歌詞的場景。 不是一首慢歌：速度上我 或會選擇行板；小廣板也可接受。廣板與緩板是極限，再慢的速度恐怕會 曲了我的原意−− 夕陽本來就是稍縱即逝，所以《黃昏》應該是流動而不呆滯。我為歌曲寫下的旋律已

莊嚴，

毋須過份放慢速度刻意讓音樂變得壯闊。不過，你還是順心而行吧。

謝基信（作曲、作詞） 謝基信自2010年起從事音樂創作，自幼學習小提琴、鋼琴以及管風琴，多年來受古典音樂及 合唱音樂薰陶，尤其從巴赫的音樂中獲得不少啓發。謝氏的合唱作品曾在香港、新加坡、台 灣、中國、南韓以至瑞典演出。工程學以外，謝氏擁有英文創意寫作藝術碩士及加拿大皇家音 樂學院ARCT鋼琴演奏文憑。謝氏於香港出生，後隨家人移居加拿大。數年後獲全額獎學金考 進多倫多大學，畢業於工程科學系。一心以為自己將會是一個平步青雲的工程師，卻在大學期 間於日本工作實習時發現自己對人類文明、文化及宗教信仰、歷史、社會、語言、哲學、以至 藝術更有興趣，加上對地理及旅遊（尤其遠足）的喜愛以及本身在音樂、科學及數學方面的認 識，令他現在的事業處於教學、寫作、編輯和創作的交界點，是一種融匯多方元素的藝術工 作。

*樂曲介紹可在音樂會簡介及場刊上自由轉載。 *此曲需以普通話演唱。

Programme Note Eventide was written in 2017—my seventh year of writing choral music freelance, and also when I began to understand—and make peace with the fact—that there comes a time when a composer can no longer separate work from life. Borrowing text from literature—using other people’s words—becomes less and less of an artistic option. Eventide signifies an earlier attempt for me to experiment with my Chinese lyric-writing skills—elementary it may be, but it expresses something much closer to my heart. Eventide owes almost all of the rest of its being to an eponymous prose poem by He Qifang ( ). His poem was set in a deserted street in a deserted town, but because the shore is my favourite place to watch the sunset—I like watching the sun emerge or disappear beyond the horizon—and because I love the sight of the vast, mysterious sea, I have chosen to set it by the sea. Eventide is not meant for slow tempi: andante would be my choice; larghetto is acceptable. Largo, lento are pushing it, and anything slower than those would constitute a misreading of my intention—a sunset is surprisingly short-lived, so Eventide should be fluid, not sluggish. I have given the song solemn enough melodic lines; there’s no need to broaden it further by lessening the pace. But, do as your heart tells you.

Gershom Tse (composer, lyricist) Gershom Tse has been a largely self-taught composer. His musical instinct and skills were nurtured, developed and honed over years of playing and listening to classical music, with a particular focus during his most formative years on J. S. Bach’s works. Gershom has played piano and violin since a very young age, and has studied pipe organ with the much esteemed and renowned John Tuttle of the University of Toronto. He holds ARCT in piano performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Canada.

Gershom is a proud holder of a BASc in Engineering Science from the University of Toronto, but he has since had a change of heart and has carved a way into the arts. He now holds an MFA in Creative Writing, and he is a writer, editor and teacher of technical communication when he is not busy composing. His fondness for languages, arts and cultures, literature, history and the humanities, geography, travelling and hiking, and his affinity for nature, sciences, mathematics and philosophy have all come together to inform his musical, artistic and creative ideas. His music has been performed in Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, mainland China, South Korea, and, most recently, in Sweden.

*Programme Note can be freely reproduced in concert introduction and house programmes. *This piece must be sung in Putonghua. For guidance on Putonghua pronunciation, please refer to this website: https://www.ilc.cuhk.edu.hk/en/chresources/lang_pth_englishspk.aspx

Lyrics A lonely sail wavers, spoils the sunset, and Disappears between the horizon and fleeting colours of dusk:

Every day, a selfsame beholder is seen lingering by the seashore Is he a seeker, mourner, or mere admirer of the evanescent beauty? ?

In the ensuing night, Soft breezes induce gentle voices from the sea, mellowing, melting his sadness

He rests under the tender caresses of lucid moonlight; In an illuminated dream

He realizes: glorious as sunsets may be, they are but Illusions of happiness—disguised beneath cheerful pretense are but yonder regrets and sorrows.

He awakens, and sees a magnificent sun rising to shine upon him, giving him strength, giving him hope.

歌詞英文版本 English version of lyrics：謝基信 Gershom Tse

Note: The composer offers an English version of his own lyrics, which is not meant to be a line-by-line translation of the Chinese lyrics. For study purposes, please refer to the word-by-word translation on the next page.

Word-by-word Translation (for study purpose) Confused / sail / cover / silence / sunset Interrupt / like / dream / that / beautiful / haze On / sea surface / spread / lonely / shadow Slowly / in / cloud / and / sea / between / disappear

Gazing / at / unrivalled / gorgeous / sunset / person He / everyday / relentlessly / pursues / seeking / what Is / for / the incomprehensible / finding / answers Or / is / for / the deceased / requesting / peace ?

Perhaps / just / to / cherish / one / moment

nightfall / drapes low / crimson / clouds / disperse This / day / endless / regret / weariness / vanish Quiet / night Onshore / night / breezes / lightly / blow / come / whiffs / carrying / sorrow / happiness

Light / winds / softly / floats / into / his / faint / dreams Kisses / his / cheeks Ah / luminescent / moonlight / kindles / sea surface / waves Nonchalantly / saying

Dusk / though / is / gorgeous / expressive As if / is / your / desired / happiness But / is / age / scripted / prank Hidden / where / smiles / beneath / are / drops of / tears Ah

Friend / please / look / dawn / emerges / the East Morning / sunshine / also / radiant / immeasurably Peaceful / rising sun / now / at / you / smiling May / this / day / full of / light / hope

2021 第一版 First Edition 2021 中大合唱協會有限公司出版 Published by CU Chorus Association Limited 樂曲介紹 樂譜排版 中文編輯 英文編輯

Programme Notes: 謝基信 Gershom Tse Music Typesetting: 太元 Zha Tai-yuan Chinese Editor: 朱振威 Leon Chu English Editor: 林凱昌 Lam Hoi-cheong

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Catalogue No. CUCCS0016 ISMN 979-0-805701-05-9

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