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The Sacrifice to God: Introduction-Symphony by Li Tai-Hsiang (大神祭:序曲-李泰祥)

Audio
The Sacrifice to God: Introduction



I.    About this Song

Summary / Story:
Warrior’s Dance from “The Sacrifice to God: Introduction”
The sun is rising. On the distant and mysterious grassland that has no end in sight.
The warriors have been staying at the place for three consecutive days and nights.
They take an oath to follow and add glory to Wamaao’s warrior spirit—To bravely vanquish fear;
To overcome weakness and make themselves stronger;
To drive back evil spirits, combine their own bodies and minds to become nobler and more complete persons;
To protect homeland, care for fellow countrymen, and prays for favorable weather and good harvests.
The sacrificial ceremony is solemn, sacred, and filled with undisguised vitality of life.
Although it is primeval, it is orderly. It presents simple, powerful, and progressive beauty.
All the birds, flowers, trees, and fishes in the mountains and valleys are also leaping and shouting with people.
The songs and intense dances have alerted heaven and earth; gods and spirits are crying too.
This is the decennial Sacrifice to God.

II.    Manuscript

Handwritten manuscript (page 8) of “The Sacrifice to God: Introduction” (1986)    Electronic description (page 2) of “The Sacrifice to God: Introduction” (2002)

      


To view the story of Li Tai-Hsiang, please go to Li Tai-Hsiang, the Native Musician of Taiwan.
Text and images are provided by The Native Musician of Taiwan-Tai-Hsiang Li Digital Archive, National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan