Training ‘successor’ of Ca Hue in schools

Teachers during a Ca Hue training session. Photo: TCVH

Learning to become artists

Setting aside their summer break, nearly 200 music teachers from primary schools across Hue City gathered at Hue Vocational School of Culture and Arts to take part in a special course: Ca Hue.

Over more than a month of study, teachers from the highland areas as well as other from remote coastal regions; everyone was excited when they met. Ca Hue is a familiar concept to many people, especially music teachers. Yet, as they delved deeper into study and practice, many were surprised by how much unfamiliar knowledge there was to learn.

Teaching the class was Vo Que, a poet, Chairman of the Ca Hue Chamber Music Club, who provided an overview of the history of Ca Hue’s formation. Then followed by Veteran artists and instructors long devoted to Ca Hue; they all  carefully guided trainees through each folk melody and piece in the Ca Hue repertoire.

Tunes such as Ly Tinh Tang, Ngua O, Ho Mai Xap, and Gia Gao, along with Ca Hue pieces like Luu Thuy, Long Diep, Lien Hoan, Ho Quang, and Xuan Phong, rang out in every practice session. What began as unfamiliar territory turned the classroom into a stage, with practice sessions progressing from basic to skilled. Even so, many of the teachers in the course affirmed that mastering a Ca Hue piece is no simple task - the hardest parts being word articulation and breath control.

At the program’s closing ceremony, teachers took turns performing Ca Hue melodies and repertoire before a large audience in a polished and professional manner.

As soon as the tune Ly Tinh Tang ended, two teachers, Hoang Thi Kim Chung of Phu Thuong Primary School and Tran Thi My Anh of Huyen Tran Primary School, received prolonged applause from the entire hall. Anyone enjoying the graceful, gentle melody and the sweet, romantic lyrics of the song might have mistaken the two teachers for professional performers. Yet, they had just completed a one-month training course.

Bringing Ca Hue closer to students

“After nearly a month of dedicated study, we were carefully taught the distinctive pieces and folk melodies of Ca Hue by our instructors. The course did more than teach singing techniques. It also sparked a passion and a sense of responsibility for preserving this priceless artistic heritage left by our ancestors,” shared Ms. Kim Chung.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Dung, M.A., Head of the School’s Training, Scientific Research, and Education Quality Assurance Department, said the training program was designed to combine theory, practice, and experiential activities harmoniously. As a result, it helped trainees not only grasp foundational knowledge of Ca Hue but also gradually develop skills to apply in their teaching at primary schools.

“The teaching method followed a hands-on, ‘guide-by-doing’ approach, with a strong focus on practising and correcting each line of singing, each vocal ornamentation technique, pronunciation, and performance style. As a result, most trainees showed clear improvement in their singing skills, as well as in their ability to appreciate and perform Ca Hue melodies,” shared Kim Dung.

Trainees also had the opportunity to interact with artisans at the Ca Hue Chamber Music Club. It was in this setting that trainees gained a deeper understanding of the value of Ca Hue in contemporary life, while also gaining further motivation to spread their love for this heritage within the education environment.

Preserving heritage starting from schools

Mr. Nguyen Thien Binh, Deputy Director of the Hue City Department of Culture and Sports, said the training program gives music teachers, currently working at primary schools, an opportunity to engage more deeply with this heritage, thereby improving their skills in passing it on within schools.

Although the training period was not long, the teachers’ spirit of learning was highly commendable. Mr. Binh believes these “teacher-artists” will work together with artisans and artists to continue passing down this art form. This will help bring Ca Hue closer to students and the community. It will also lay the foundation for the sustainable preservation and promotion of this heritage's value.

“What is most commendable is that after the course, the teachers not only grasped the basic knowledge of Ca Hue but also gained enough of a foundation to teach practical lessons on Ca Hue folk melodies and repertoire. This is helping, step by step, to bring the homeland’s cultural heritage closer to primary school students through music lessons, experiential activities, and the school’s cultural and artistic events,” added Ms. Dung.