The performance <Soritgonggam in London>, brought jointly by the Korea Cultural Heritage Administration, Korean Cultural Centre UK, and Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation, will be held here in London to commemorate the 140th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the UK and the Republic of Korea.

Held on a special stage prepared in the Cultural Heritage Media Art Exhibition space, this performance will allow you to experience the beautiful and unique sounds and dances of Korea.

※ The Visit Korean Heritage Campaign is a campaign that introduces the beautiful cultural heritage of Korea to the world and creates a wide variety of tourism content using Korea’s diverse cultural heritage.

Performance Overview

○ Performance Date and Time: November 2 (Thursday) – November 3 (Friday) ① 2:30 PM (Session 1) ② 4:30 PM (Session 2)

※ 24 persons per session; each session will last for approx. 30 minutes

○ Performance Location: Media Art Exhibition (1F) at the Korean Cultural Centre UK, Grand Buildings, 1 - 3 Strand, London WC2N 5BW

○ Performance Summary: A special performance of beautiful Korean sounds and traditional dances

○ RSVP: Open the following link and complete and submit the Google Form application (Free admission) ☞ October 20 (Friday) – first come first served basis, until capacity is filled

(Session 1) November 2 14:30 https://forms.gle/aWcgKwuX1miWPFiv6

(Session 2) November 2 16:30 https://forms.gle/1G6qGkaTqtNAmNd89

(Session 3) November 3 14:30 https://forms.gle/KvyKa5HHoquV3ApE7

(Session 4) November 3 16:30 https://forms.gle/VAx72BpRsAHGCprM7

※ We will send a confirmation email to those who successfully applied. Please present your confirmation email to verify your identity on the day of the event.

○ Hosted by: Korea Cultural Heritage Administration, Korean Cultural Centre UK, and Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation

○ Inquiries: hyangdata@naver.com

Programme

○ Traditional Korean vocal music ‘Gasa’

- Title of Musical Composition: 「Chunmyeongok」

- Artist: Nari Kim / Accompanist: Byung-og Oh (daegeum; saenghwang)

- A branch of traditional Korean vocal music, Gasa refers to a long piece of song consisting of long lyrics in gasa style (a writing style close to prose). A total of 12 known Gasa pieces have been passed down to date, and are called "12 Gasas." One of the 12 Gasas is "Chunmyeongok," which describes the feelings of a man suffering from the loss of his lover.

○ An opera singer's aria

-Title of Musical Composition: 'Ah, ch'infelice sempre' from A. Vivaldi's Secular Cantata「Cessate, Omai Cessate」

- Artist: Hyunwoo Jung / Accompanist: Heo Kyeon (guitar)

- One of the Italian secular cantatas popular between the 17th and 18th centuries, Antonio Vivaldi's <Cessate, Omai Cessate> is a work with arias of different vocalizations. It is a piece sung by a shepherd in Arcadia, ancient Greece, grieving the separation from his lover named "Dorilla".

○ Original sound of Korea, ‘Pansori’

- Title of Musical Composition: 「Jaryong Shoots his Bow and Arrow」from ‘Jeokbyeokga(赤壁歌)’

- Artist: Dayeon Lee / Accompanist: Wonyoung Shin (gosu)

- Pansori is a musical performance in which a singer ties together a long story using a combination of singing or chang (sori), lyrics (aniri), and gestures (neoreumsae). Recognized for its originality and excellence as a unique part of Korean culture, pansori was registered on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008. As one of the five backgrounds of 'pansori' that have been passed down to this day, <Jeokbyeokga> is based on the ‘Battle of Red Cliffs’ from the Chinese novel, 『Romance of the Three Kingdoms』.

○ Korean traditional dance, ‘Taepyeongmu’

- Dancer: Mijoo Han

- A traditional Korean dance that expresses a wish for the country’s peace and prosperity, Taepyeongmu presents the grandeur and magnificence of the royal court and is characterized by elegant, delicate, and artistic footwork.

○ Finale ‘Arirang’

- Title of Musical Composition: <Arirang>

- Artists: Nari Kim (Gasa), Hyunwoo Jung (opera), and Dayeon Lee (pansori) / Accompanists: Byung-og Oh (daegeum), Heo Kyeon (guitar), and Wonyoung Shin (gosu)

- A major folk song that represents Korea, 'Arirang' was registered on the 'UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity' in 2012. Through the 'Arirang' finale, audiences can simultaneously enjoy the vocalizations of a Korean traditional song Gasa, a medieval cantata, and Korea's unique pansori.