Sound of traditional instrument resonates with Kiwis

WELLINGTON — David Stringer is a star in the Chinese community in New Zealand's South Island, due to his mastery of the traditional Chinese musical instrument, the hulusi flute.

Recently, Stringer impressed the audience again with a beautiful interpretation of the Chinese folk music Deep in the Bamboo Forest using hulusi at a festival gala concert organized by the Chinese community in Christchurch.

Although it is easy to play the hulusi at a basic level, "Deep in the Bamboo Forest involves lots of techniques, which is a Grade 6 exam piece," says Stringer, who prefers to be called Qin Dawei, a Chinese name he really adores.

Deep in the Bamboo Forest depicts the early spring sunshine and the lilting sound of music wafting from the deep bamboo forest, Stringer said after his solo performance in late September.

The hulusi, which is also known as the cucurbit or gourd flute, is a free reed wind instrument originated in China. It has in recent years been adopted by European composers and performers.

Stringer's performance was among the more than 20 music and dance programs at the evening gala to celebrate the annual occasion of love and family reunion on the Chinese lunar calendar, the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Stringer says he first saw the hulusi ten years ago on his first trip to Zhangjiajie in Central China's Hunan province. When he expressed his curiosity about the musical instrument, he was given one by a friend, who also taught him the basics of playing.

The next year, Stringer visited China again and bought another C Major hulusi in Changsha and a B Flat one in the city of Yueyang. Currently, he has a total of five hulusi of different types.

"From young, I was introduced to the Chinese culture. More recently, I have been learning Chinese and have made many friends in the Chinese community in Christchurch. Like New Zealanders, I find them friendly and encouraging," Stringer says.

With the increasing numbers of Chinese, Chinese culture has played a bigger part in the New Zealand community, especially the Chinese New Year, the Lantern Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival, which are "enriching our own culture," he says.

There is a hulusi group in Christchurch, and Stringer was encouraged to join it and has performed with them many times.

"Same as the choir, I found the friendships formed good for me and for my language learning. I think we all benefit," he says.

"I have been privileged to make friends with many Chinese people, learn from and perform with them. It brings us together," he adds.

Xinhua