Crown Haitai Confectionery held the 21st Changsinje, the largest privately organized Korean traditional music festival in the country, from the 10th to the 12th of October at the Grand Theater of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul.
Changsinje is an annual Korean traditional music performance hosted by Crown Haitai under the theme of "beopgo changsin," a principle calling for the creation of new value while inheriting tradition. This year's program centered on "Sujecheon," a piece that originated from "Jeongeupsa," a song from the Baekje era, and later developed into court music. Crown Haitai has staged Sujecheon for five consecutive years, working to preserve the original form of the traditional piece while reinterpreting it in a contemporary style.
The festival premiered "Obang Jeongjae," a newly created dance work combining Sujecheon with the court dances Ilmu, Cheoyongmu and Chunaengjeon. Drawing on the fact that Sujecheon was once used as accompaniment for court dance, the work recomposes several traditional dances into a dynamic group performance.
The performance opened with 100 Crown Haitai employees singing the lyrics of Jeongeupsa in chorus, accompanied by the Seoul Metropolitan Traditional Music Orchestra and the Rakum Korean Music Group performing Sujecheon. Originally a wind ensemble piece, Sujecheon was arranged for Korean traditional orchestra and presented as a vocal work with added lyrics and four-part harmony.
The program continued with "Ilmu, Jeonpyehuimun," which combined court dance and music, and "Jeongga Guum," which expressed the melodies of the piri and daegeum through the human voice. Also staged were Obang Jeongjae, the newly created dance featuring 50 employees, and the samulnori piece "Sujecheon Dongnak." The festival closed with "Sujecheon Original Ensemble," in which the Yangju Pungnyu Akhoe, a group of master traditional musicians, recreated the court performance format.
A special stage was also arranged to nurture young talent in Korean traditional music. On the 11th, the "Youngjae Haneumhoe Changsinje Special Performance" featured winners of the "Gather Round! Haneum Saplings Competition," which Crown Haitai hosts. The young performers showcased skills honed through the Youngjae Haneumhoe, held every Sunday at the Crown Haitai Hall in Namsan Hanok Village.
Yoon Young-dal, chairman of Crown Haitai Confectionery, said, "Changsinje is a precious stage where Crown Haitai creates and enjoys happiness together with customers through Korean traditional music." He added, "We will continue our efforts so that many Koreans and people around the world can enjoy the beauty of our traditional music together."
