Kangkangsullae for violin, viola and cello

The original “Kangkangsullae” is a dance piece that has prevailed through the seashore and islands of southwestern Korea. In this piece, the women hold hands, sing and dance in a large circle on such holidays as the first full moon of January, and the harvest full moon of August in the lunar calendar. The structure of Kangkangsullae for string trio is found in the original development and changes throughout the piece which conveys a spirit of celebration.

Since the origin of Kangkangsullae (or Ganggangsullae) includes women’s circle dance under the leadership of General Yi, Sun-sin to overcome the Japanese invasion in the 16th century, the dance of Kangkagsullae reminds Kim of the dance of Miriam, mentioned in the book of Exodus 15:20~21 in this following aspect:

• Invasion or Chase of enemies (The Japanese and Egyptian army).

• Blocked by the river: The meaning of Kangkangsullae includes “strong enemy comes across river” in Chinese.

• Women’s circle dance: the importance of circle dancing is to emphasize individual relationships while square dancing is focused on the relationship between subordinates and superiors. A good shepherd goes to look for one sheep that wandered off leaving ninety-nine sheep were in the hills (Matthew 18:12~14).

• Victory and Celebration.

This piece was written for the 20th anniversary of the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) FM Radio and Prof. Mark Kopytman's 70th birthday. The Jerusalem Kaprizma ensemble recorded this work and put it on its web-library. The score and recording of the work are also found at the library and on the Canadian Music Centre website. The piece was selected for the International Rostrum of Composers at Unesco, Paris in 2002 as well as released on a Synnara label CD by KBS FM Radio. It also has been performed in various festivals in Budapest, New York City, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Seoul (with traditional dancers from the National Dance Company of Korea).

The Toronto Messiaen Ensemble is very excited to collaborate with the Pia Bouman School for Ballet and Dance in performing Western style choreography while interpreting a Korean folklore story.