Lady Peacock – Suite for Orchestra 孔雀之舞 (2005)

Commissioned by Mr. Stephen Carpenter, Music Director of the Ivanhoe Grammar School Orchestra, Melbourne, Australia.

These highly programmatic and descriptive movements are based on Southwestern Chinese folk songs which were extracted, well modified, re-assembled into new melodies, orchestrated for an Western orchestra and specially designed into 4 movements – a grandeur first movement, a serene second movement with exposed solos, a third movement in Ternary form with an Scherzo like middle section featuring the Oboes, and a grand dancing party as the ending movement.  The performing duration of each movement was short but well-rounded in itself and giving enjoyable moments.

Song of the lovely Lady Peacock the character gently appears from the bush, elegantly shows and shakes her fancy wide-opened tail to everybody with pride, then lost again into the bush.

Dance by the Lake a pair of lover Peacock dancing timidly along the lake side, sharing a warm moment with intimate dialogue.

Under the Moonlight the pair of lover leisurely strolling under the full moon and all at once unexpectedly swings into a waltz-like dance. 

Dance of the Dai People the minority of ‘Dai’ people in southwestern region of China is historically and culturally the same tribe of Thai people, though there’s Thailand the country where the other Thais still live in that region of China.

This movement recalls a festive dancing scene of these ‘Dai People’, introduced by cymbals and drums, followed by the Piccolo and Flutes as a sign of gathering the crowd.  Then entered the main section of the dance with Horn signals in between, once again calling the whole village of people to join the party.