The Songs of Shim-Cheong

A long time ago in Korea, a Funeral takes place for a mother who passes during childbirth, leaving behind her newly born daughter, Shim-Cheong () and her blind husband Shim (). The blind father mourns for his wife but vows to devote his life to taking care of their daughter. Many years later, the blind father is approached by a Buddhist Monk who informs him that if he can offer 300 sacks of rice to Buddha, he will be granted sight. Shim-Cheong, who is now a young woman, overhears the exchange but knows that her father will never be able to make such an offering. Desperate to help her father, Shim-Cheong goes out to the coast in search of answers and happens upon sea merchants who are looking for a sacrifice for the ocean. In exchange for her sacrifice, the merchants promise to give her father the 300 sacks of rice. Shim-Cheong agrees. The sea merchants set sail into the treacherous sea with Shim-Cheong. They reach their destination, Shim-Cheong bravely walks to the front deck of the ship and confronts the thrashing waves beneath her. She is Thrown into the Sea. As the waves consume her and Shim-Cheong falls deeper and deeper into the sea, she devotes her last prayer to ensuring her father regains his sight. She awakens beneath the waves, surrounded by a mythical foreign sight. An unearthly voice vibrates the ocean floors, as the Dragon King welcomes her to his palace. The Dragon King is touched by her sacrifice and grants her safety within his kingdom. As time goes on, the Dragon King notices her constant worrying for her father and offers to send her back to the land above. Shim-Cheong eagerly agrees. A grand lotus flower is found by sea traders passing by in the ocean. The traders, amazed by the flower, offer it to Korea's young emperor. As the young emperor is inspecting the grand lotus flower, the leaves begin to blossom to reveal Shim-Cheong. Astonished by her beauty, the young emperor marries Shim-Cheong and makes her queen. Though happiness fills her days as queen, Shim Cheong still cannot forget her ailing father. When she confides in her husband, he regales to hosting the Emperor's Banquet for the blind, leading to a joyous reunion between father and daughter. The people celebrate this heartwarming tale, ensuring Shim Cheong and her father live a life of lasting happiness. The structure of the work is programmatic, based on the folk tale of Shim-Cheong, written in the program notes. Each movement's underpinnings consist of varying styles. The first movement, Funeral, is a reduced version of Funeral Music (Sangyeo-Sori). The second movement, Buddhist Monk, is an interpretation of Pansori music through thin chamber-like orchestration of the ensemble, singing a conversation between the monk and the father, much like how a Pansori singer would tell the story. The third movement, Thrown into the Sea, has Korean Fibonacci rhythms, Samul-Nori, and thematic material from other movements intertwined throughout. The fourth movement, Dragon's Palace, is meant to be the most ethereal movement and only loosely borrows from the heritage. The fifth and final movement, Emperor's Banquet, has both Court Music (specifically Daechwita) and Samul-Nori (specifically Kil-Kun-Ak) as the main forefront of the music.