Voices of Eternal Spring : A Study of the Hingcun diau Song Family and Other Folk Songs of the Hingcun Area, Taiwan

This thesis focuses first on Taiwanese folk songs in general, looking then in more detail at Hingcun [Hengchun in Mandarin] folk songs and finally zooming in to study
in depth the tune Hingcun diau and its song family. In addition to the discussion of the musical qualities of folk songs per se, this thesis lays stress on how these folk songs were shaped by and interacted with the lives of the people in the societies where they were found.
Chapter One looks at the concept of folk song and then considers folk song in Taiwan from historical, musical and ethnomusicological perspectives, introducing three systems of folk song: aboriginal, Holo and Hakka folk songs. O f the three, Holo folk songs are the most significant part due to the fact that Holo people constitute the majority of the Taiwanese population. The folk songs of the Hingcun Peninsula, which is located at the southernmost tip of Taiwan, are part of the Holo category, and these are the topic of Chapters Two and Three. Chapter Two provides an account of the history and society of the Hingcun region, so describing the setting o f the songs studied here. In Chapter Three I report on my fieldwork investigations into this repertory, revealing more of the folk song culture that surrounds the songs themselves, in particular the songs Susianggi and Ghubhe buann, and the outstanding vocalist Chen Da.
Chapter Four looks in depth at the remarkable song family that has emerged from the Hingcun diau tune over time, analysing variants from the earliest instances available to symphonic arrangements and the latest hip hop version. The relationship between political and cultural change and the emergence of new variants is assessed throughout. The thesis is then completed by a Conclusion (Chapter 5) and two CDs of examples.