INTRODUCTION TO SICHUAN QINGYIN (BALLAD-SINGING)

Sichuan Qingyin, or literally ballad singing, is a traditional folk art form with a long history that originated from Sichuan folk songs popular in the Ming and Qing dynasties. This art form is performed in Sichuan local dialect, featuring rich melodies and appealing tunes. It is a typical representative of intangible cultural heritage in Sichuan.

To let students from Volgograd have a comprehensive understanding of Sichuan Qingyin, we will focus our introduction in three aspects.

The first is about the characteristics of the art form, mainly including the programs in the repertoire, arias and musical instruments. The plays of Sichuan Qingyin are mainly adapted from novels, operas, and revolutionary historical stories. It extols historical figures, and reflects real life. The singing tune of Sichuan Qingyin is melodious and cheerful, which is highlighted by "haha tune" and "tanshe tune". Sichuan Qingyin has unique musical instruments to accompany the play in performance, among which bamboo drum is the most unique one.

The second is about the protection and rejuvenation. This part mainly analyzes why Sichuan Qingyin once faced the awkward situation for survival and passing down the art form. It also explains the protection measures, particularly the measures taken by professional protection institutions in reforming and creating programs with modern music elements as reference. The measures have re-aroused people's interest in this kind of performing art form.

The third is about the activities conducted by schools to encourage students to learn and spread the knowledge of Sichuan Qingyin, including the introduction of the art form into music classes, popularization-oriented teaching, the establishment of Sichuan Qingyin school clubs and the lectures by invited professional performers. This part also introduces the adaption and creation of new plays jointly by teachers and students, the performances on stages, and the dissemination of the culture of Sichuan Qingyin.

We hope, through the above introduction, students from Volgograd can understand and like this art form. We would like to reiterate: Welcome to Chengdu. Let's learn Sichuan Qingyin and experience its artistic charm together.