Five musical artisans honoured

      A ceremony to honour one ceremonial-singing and four Hue-singing royal court musicians - the living treasures- was held yesterday at the Thai Hoa Palace, in Hue City, Thua Thien-Hue province.
At the entrance of the Noon Gate, five artisans were formally received. They and other invited guests walked on the sedge mat leading to the Dai Trieu Yard, Thai Hoa Palace.
1,000 flower candles were lit to wish the five artisan longevity.
Hue singing and ceremonial songs are amongst the Vietnamese people’s treasure of spiritual culture. The two kinds of music have been changed as time flies. Actually, there remain a few artisans who are aged 79 to 100.
At the ceremony, the ceremonial singing artisan Pho Thi Kim Duc, 79, who is among the 21 remaining artisans of this sort of music performed some examples of ceremonial songs.
The four other artisans honoured were 85-year-old Minh Man, 81-year-old Thanh Huong, 100-year-old Lu Huu Thi and 89-year-old Tran Kich.
Notably, elderly Tran Kich can play seven musical instruments that are used in the royal court music. Artisan Lu Huu Thi is the oldest living artisan of the musical ensemble from the Nguyen Dynasty.