Hue folk singing to be taught at school
The Culture and Sports Department in Hue city, the central province of Thua Thien-Hue, has signed an agreement to coordinate with the city’s Education and Training Department to add Ca Hue (Hue folk singing) to the academic curriculum in local schools.
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| A performance of Ca Hue (Hue folk singing) on a boat on the Huong River in Hue city |
The art of Ca Hue will be included as a school subject. Students will take part in excursions and extra classes at museums on the art form, and also attend art shows and camps on song composition.
The two agencies will encourage school children to use libraries, as well as organise free reading weeks and mobile libraries so that they can access information at school.
This month, the Art and Culture School of the Thua Thien-Hue Culture and Sports Department will host a training class on Ca Hue for 30 teachers from secondary schools in Hue city. Experienced singers will also teach during the class.
In three months, teachers will be trained on general knowledge of music, culture, history; learn how to sing folk melodies; and exchange with singers.
“Teaching Hue folk singing at school will help young people understand the art form and traditional music in general, enhancing their awareness of and improving possibilities in protecting and developing the folk art,” said Dang Phuoc My, deputy director of Thua Thien-Hue Education and Training Department.
“The teaching programme will also promote culture, art and sport activities at schools, help enhance pupils’ physical health and provide them with useful entertainment,” My said.
Before Hue folk singing, schools in the province introduced folk games like skipping rope, Mandarin square capturing, shuttle cock kicking and duet singing into the curriculum.
The education and training department has also hosted contests on history for local students.
Ca Hue is a variation of Hue royal court music and is considered a type of chamber music that originated from performances in the royal and mandarin houses during the imperial era.
The art form is said to bear similarities to traditional Vietnamese music such as Don ca tai tu (southern folk music) and Ca tru (ceremonial singing performed in the north). The music is played on traditional Vietnamese musical instruments, while the musicians and vocalists all wear the national long dress, the Ao dai.
Ca Hue was listed as a national intangible heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.