The Art of the Chinese Xiao & Hulusi

Led by composer/arranger Li Jiang, Heart of the Dragon Ensemble is a UK-based collective of Chinese instrumentalists, known for their chamber interpretations of traditional classical and folk music. On this recording, the focus is given to the xiao (end-blown bamboo flute) and hulusi (gourd flute) performed by Hu Ruijin and Qiu Zenghui Joanna respectively.

As the hulusi has a millennia-old history with the Dai ethnic minority group, several of the pieces evoke traditional Dai religious practices and folk rituals. This is immediately showcased in the festive opening track ‘Ga Guang Dance’, an original composition based on Dai drum dances, replete with lively percussion. The xiao pieces lean towards the pastoral and poetic, drawing inspiration from classical poetry from the Song and Tang dynasties. A particular highlight is ‘Wild Geese Over the Sands’, a famous Ming dynasty piece originally written for guqin, but presented here as a duet for xiao and piano. As well as being a woodwind-focused recording, this album features a plethora of strong ensemble performances, including contributions from Wang Xiao on erhu, Wu Mengmeng on guzheng, Zhao Wenxin on pipa and Guo Yi on sheng. While the arrangements might be an acquired taste for some – the copious use of synth string pads often give the production a somewhat pedestrian quality – the strong central performances and skilled ensemble playing help elevate a pleasant and evocative album.