Returning to the Root (Guigen) Music by Joshua Rist Performance Notes by Dr. Adam Con This piece incorporates elements of Tai Chi Chuan and Qigong practice into the choral setting. The Qigong meditative practice called the Six Healing Sounds begins and ends the work. The melodic text is part one of poem number 16 from the 4th century B.C. Classical Chinese text, Tao Te Ching (Book of the Way of Virtue). The Six Healing Sounds (Liu Zi Jue) is a Qigong breathing technique in which there are six ways to exhale improving health and promoting healing and longevity. The earliest notation of Liu Zi Jue appears in a book called, On Caring for the Health of the Mind and Prolonging the Life Span written by Tao Hongjing. It dates back in history to the Northern and Southern dynasties (420-589). In traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), each of the sounds corresponds to the six major functions of the body to help regulate the flow of qi and bring vitality. The six healing sound movements were added in the Ming Dynasty (1386-1644). Sī
pronounced ‘s’
(Lungs: holds despair, sadness, depression; open to let in courage)
Xū
pronounced ‘shu’ with rounded “oo” lips
(Liver: holds anger; open to let in generosity)
Chui
pronounced ‘chway’
(Kidneys: hold fear; open to let in calmness)
Hē
pronounced ‘huh’
(Heart: holds impatience; open to let in love joy and happiness)
Hū
pronounced ‘who’
(Spleen/Pancreas: holds worry and anxiety; open to let in fairness, openness, trust)
Xī
pronounced ‘she’
(Triple Burner – upper, middle, lower cavities circulating qi and fluids)
Text Translation: zhì xū jí,
(Juh shu gee)
Seek to attain a perfect emptiness,
shŏu jìng dŭ,
(shaow, jeeng, doo)
Remain patient and sincere,
wàn wù bìng zuò,
(wahn, woo, beeng, jooaw)
Every living thing is rising as one,
wú yĭ guān fù.
(woo, yee, gwan, foo)
Through this we observe the return to the root.
This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
Commissioned by Dr. Adam Jonathan Con for the 2016 Unitarian Universalist Musicians Network Annual Conference
Returning to the Root (Guigen) Dedicated with gratitude to Adam Con
Text by Lao Tzu, excerpted from the Tao Te Ching XVI
SOPRANO
Largo con rubato q = 30
ALTO
TENOR
BASS
Violoncello
Sī
mp
p lightly accent each note, like drops of water
(Liver)
inhale
Xū mp
Xū mp
Xū
Optional: In measures 2-14, cellist may improvise short, expressive phrases using the C minor pentatonic scale to contribute to meditative space.
inhale
*Chuī
(Kidney)
inhale
exhale
inhale
inhale
Hē
Chuī
(Heart)
*Hē
Chuī
Sī
inhale mp
Xū
exhale
Sī
inhale
* Sī
exhale 7
(Lungs)
Largo con rubato q = 30
Piano
Music by Joshua Rist
Hē
Chuī
Hē
Copyright © Joshua Rist 2017
This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
exhale 13
3
Adagio con rubato q = 50
inhale
(Triple Burner) Hū
(Spleen)
Hū
Xī
Hū
Xī
Hū
Hū
Hū
Xī
mp
(n) mp
(n)
mp
(n)
* Hū
rit.
* Xī
mp
(n)
Adagio con rubato q = 50
a tempo rit.
19
a tempo
mp
rit.
zhi xu mp
ji
zhi xu mp
ji
zhi xu
ji
colla voce
shou jing du. wan wu bing zuo, wu yi guan fu. mf
shou jing du. wan wu bing zuo, wu yi guan fu.
mp
mf
shou jing du. wan
shou jing du. wan
wu
bing
zuo,
yi guan fu.
wu
bing
zuo,
yi guan fu.
a tempo rit. mp legato continue to use sustain pedal harmonically a tempo mp legato
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4
24
wu bing zuo,
mf
wu bing zuo,
zhi xu
zhi
shou jing du
shou jing du
wan wu
bing
wan wu
bing
Hū
wan wu
bing
xu
ji
zhi xu
xu
zhi
ji
mf
f
29
ji
ji
ji f
f
shou jing du. wan
shou jing du. wan
ji
wu
bing
wu bing zuo,
wu
bing
zuo, wu yi guan
zuo, wu yi guan
wu yi guan
zuo,
zuo,
zhi xu
zhi xu
fu.
fu.
shou jing du. wan
zhi xu
guan
wu bing zuo,
guan
fu.
guan
fu
wu yi
wu bing zuo,
wu yi
zhi xu
fu.
Hū
fu.
wu yi guan
fu.
wu yi guan
f
wu yi guan
zuo,
Hū
ji
zuo,
guan
shou jing du. wan
wu bing zuo,
guan
f
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33
fu.
jing
du
fu.
shou jing du
shou jing du
fu.
wan wu
wan wu
fu.
wan wu
jing
du
wan wu
bing
zuo,
bing
38
Tempo rubato
p
bing
bing
Xū
Xū p
Xū
p
Xū
Tempo rubato
p
Chuī
Chuī
Chuī
Chuī
guan
fu.
mp
wu yi mp
guan
wu yi
guan
fu.
fu.
Hē
Hē
(Heart)
(Triple Burner)
Xī
Hē
Xī
Xī
Hē
fu.
mp
*
mp
zuo,
p
(Kidney)
zuo,
guan
wu yi
(Liver)
zuo,
wu yi
5
mp
Xī
(Spleen)
Hū
Hū
Hū
Hū
*Measure 40; ad lib piano and cello lines in similar style to accompany singers and gently fill the space during their breaths. Observe the conductor for the cue for the final phrase. Cello tacit at cadence.
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