Trong Quan Duc Bac, a distinctive form of folk singing between male and female groups, is considered a cultural “specialty” with great artistic value of residents in Duc Bac commune, Song Lo district, the northern province of Vinh Phuc, after centuries of practice.
History of enchanting melody
According to the elderly, the Trong Quan folk singing has existed for a long time, but no one remembers exactly when it began.
A long time ago, people settled down on the bank of the Lo River, forming a small village called Trai Lep. It was later renamed Ke Lep, and the entire village made a living along the Lo river.
One time when the floodwaters of the Lo river raged fiercely, a portion of land was separated from Ke Lep and merged with the Phu Ninh village, now Thep hamlet, Phu Ninh commune, Phu Tho district in the northern province of Phu Tho.
A legend tells of a mother giving birth to a baby girl while dreaming. When growing up, the girl followed Ba Trung to fight against foreign invaders, and she called herself Nuong princess). Following the victory over the enemy, she passed away on the land of Ke Lep by the Lo river. The people of Ke Lep went to Phu Ninh and asked for permission to build a temple dedicated to her.
Since then, the two riverside villages, Phu Ninh and Duc Bac, have had a close relationship. Every year, people in Duc Bac village welcome Phu Ninh villagers for a ceremony to worship the princess and pray for happiness and peace. The Trong Quan melody originated from this tradition. The intriguing aspect of this singing form lies in the close combination of lyrics and rhythm, with the young men moving to the rhythm around young women.
Later on, the festival was renamed “Le hoi Khai xuan cau dinh” (also known as Trong Quan Duc Bac festival). It usually takes place for three days at the beginning of the Lunar New Year (Tet). According to tradition, on the first day of Tet, the young men of Duc Bac, dressed in white pants and shirts with red belts, and red scarves on their heads, along with drums on their shoulders, gather at the village’s wharf to welcome the young women from Phu Ninh. Along the riverbank, they walk shoulder to shoulder, singing while strolling together. The maidens wear a small drum on their chests while the young men simultaneously sing and strike the drum faces with drumsticks. Each pair of male and female participants stand facing each other, with the female taking a step back while the male advances forward. They continue this singing and walking rhythm until they reach the entrance of the village temple.
The charming melody of the singing style conveys love with intense vitality, featuring three characteristic tunes: don dao (welcoming the maiden), mo ca (singing for fish), and dum (singing for rowing). Each song either by men or women always ends with the phrase “kia hoi i a trong quan”, akin to an affirmation of roots, establishing a sequential and unbroken connection between the two sides. This is a singing segment that carries a sense of openness and exchange, serving as an introductory phase. The repetition of the phrase gives the melody in Trong Quan Duc Bac a rustic, folksy, humorous and emotionally rich quality.
In addition to the popular songs, young men and women, while performing, also creatively compose lyrics for responses and competitions. Moreover, Trong Quan Duc Bac is a means for the older generation in the village, during festivals or weddings, to educate their descendants on moral values, love for the homeland, and to express wishes for good fortune. Through the musical melodies, they convey prayers to the spirits, seeking blessings for their families, villages, peace, bumper harvest, prosperous livelihoods and happy lives.
The melody is accompanied by the sound of drums, which are made with a leather surface and a wooden tang with a pink silk strap. The exchange between the two sides unfolds continuously, spanning from the village’s wharf to the village gate, and then proceeding to the entrance of the temple in the village, bringing the event to a fulfilling conclusion.
In the continuity of those love songs, one can still recognise the tight structure of the songs. It involves distinct content for each singing segment. This means the gatherings are conducted through cleverly crafted lyrical dialogues, expressing the affection between men and women.
It could be said that Trong Quan Duc Bac is intricately woven into the lives of the local people as a resilient spiritual aspect of traditional culture. The singing style has born witness to the ups and downs throughout the history of the nation.
In the early years of the 20th century, the village festival along with the Trong Quan melody was an indispensable traditional beauty of Duc Bac people at the beginning of each year. During the war, the melody accompanied the people of Duc Bac to various regions, inspiring soldiers to fight against the enemy.
However, when the temple at Duc Bac was burnt down in a battle in 1947, the festival temporarily fell into oblivion.
It was not until 2002, when researchers of the Vietnam Conservatory of Music came to Duc Bac to study the revival of the Trong Quan festival that the folk songs were heard again. The authority of Vinh Phuc has paid great attention to the preservation of the local tangible and intangible heritage in the province.
Preserving, upholding heritage values
In 2019, Trong Quan Duc Bac was named as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
To preserve and uphold the values of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and folk songs in the province, the Vinh Phuc provincial People’s Council issued a resolution on support for artisans in the field of intangible cultural heritage and the activities of outstanding folk singing clubs during the 2021-2025 period.
In addition, Trong Quan Duc Bac clubs in the province cooperate with several schools in Song Lo district to hold performances, introducing the history, performance periods, and unique features of the singing form. The clubs contribute to popularising and preserving the values of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Duc Bac commune has opened classes to teach Trong Quan Duc Bac singing at local elementary and secondary schools.
The direct teaching of Trong Quan Duc Bac aims to pass down the intangible cultural heritage of the locality to the younger generation, educating them about the tradition of the homeland and instilling a sense of national pride.
The Trong Quan melodies selected for the school curriculum are easy to remember, easy to learn, and cheerful, suitable for the psychological characteristics of elementary school students.
Students from elementary and high schools in Duc Bac commune learn the traditional folk songs through extracurricular classes, experiential activities, or in music lessons as part of the local curricula.
Through the singing, traditional culture has passed down from generation to generation.
To preserve and promote the genre of music in the modern time, synchronous measures are needed, with attention paid to honouring artisans and encouraging the community to protect and carry forward the heritage’s value.
Notably, to turn the folk art into a unique tourism product for Vinh Phuc, it is necessary to organize performances at cultural-historic sites and popular tourist attractions, and included Trong Quan shows in programmes of community-based tours./.
