But "those magical sounds" he heard whilst watching a music and dance performance by local Yao people continue to linger in his ears.

And "The Yao Dance," the instrumental music piece Liu composed nearly five decades ago which integrates those "magical sounds," has maintained its allure until today. It is a sound which has often been featured in major festival celebrations nationwide.

Placed at the top of the program of the Chinese Traditional Music Orchestra, it has been performed in the stages of more than 20 countries, including the Golden Hall in Vienna and the UN Conference Hall in Geneva.

Over the past week, "The Yao Dance" has been featured in concerts at the Poly Theatre and the Grand Theatre of the Cultural Palace of Nationalities in Beijing, to mark the 53rd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

It was in the early 1950s that Liu, now 79, and his students from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing travelled to the village to gather folk music from the south of China. "I was captivated by the local scenic beauty and the folk music, and I decided to capture their music in my work for instrumental ensemble."

Nature Inspired Music

Liu believes that nature can inspire great musical works, although his renditions simply depict an aspect of natural beauty.

Liu, born in a small county in North China's Hebei Province, grew up in Northwest China. He had never been to the south of China before making the trip to Guangdong.

Once in Guangdong, he was captivated by its tropical flowers, towering trees and the sweet perfume of tropical fruits.

One day, Liu and his students caught an unfamiliar, but beautiful song. Exchanging a surprised look, they hurriedly pulled out note pads and pens.

"We took down the melodies and then sorted them out," Liu recalled.

This section of mysterious melody later became the opening part of "The Yao Dance."

"I would have chosen to stay there for all my life were it not for my work in Beijin gryg. Beijing was then as gray as a rock and not inspiring for composing music," he said.

Folk Music Born Free

Liu likes to trace music through the wonders and beauty of nature. Whilst in Guangdong, he sometimes spent days and nights with the locals.

"Local people's music is free in tune and open to lyrics. Their performance is improvisational," Liu explained.

In the Yao ethnic village, he met an orphan boy who was always singing sorrowful, but beautiful tunes alone.

Curious about the boy's musical talents, Liu chatted with him. He discovered that the boy just followed his own feelings when singing. Whatever he saw, he would sing it out with a song.

One day, Liu was invited to a party. It was there that the local people's simple, vibrant and natural life style inspired him to create "The Yao Dance."

The instrumental music depicts a happy coming together of the Yao people. Traditional instruments such as the pipa (a kind of string plugged musical instrument), erhu (another stringed instrument) and drums, together with ethnic songs, blend together to make for a wonderfully entertaining gala.

In Liu's mind, he can still see the ethnic Yao people in their bright and colorful traditional costumes. During the performances homemade cakes and tropical fruits are presented to the guests, while traditional crafts are displayed for sale. Elsewhere an old storyteller relates ancient tales to children, while other craftsmen are busy with their handiwork and women chatter -- all of which go to recreating the day-to-day scenes of village life.

Through his work, Liu tries to capture what he saw and enjoyed in the Yao village and share it with his audience. The large-scale dance spectacles performed by the people are fast moving and free in style and were a time when, traditionally, young women and men took the opportunity to find their true love.

The dramatic scenes and joyful dance movements, but above all, the distinctive ethnic Yao melodies, give "The Yao Dance" an enduring and lasting charm.

Change Needed

For Liu, the folk music pieces do not only "belong to the past, but also the future."

However, he is worried that many young people consider folk music outdated. "People feel that folk music is just played at traditional festivals, but it should not," he said.

Overwhelmed by pop music from Hong Kong and Taiwan and the West, Chinese youngsters who grew up in the 1980s and 1990s tend to have little interest in the country's folk music, said Liu.

"When you ask young people about traditional folk music, they'll be at a loss. Obviously, there's something wrong with that."

Liu argues that composers need to shake off the ancient dust of traditional music and create melodies fit for a modern society, but with classical skills.

A good combination of modern feeling and classical skills may have a good future, Liu said.

"Folk art troupes should also adjust their old rigid market operation mechanism, and match the content of the folk music closer to the audience with a modern face."

The China Central Song and Dance Ensemble of Nationalities is attempting to make these adjustments.

Expecting a breakthrough in the staid traditional folk music market, the ensemble invested over 2 million yuan (US$242,000) to give an eight-day performance at the Poly theatre last month to mark the troupe's, as well as the dance's, 50th anniversary.

With a music career that has spanned more than half-a-century, Liu has no thought of ending his life-long mission of giving the public, especially the young Chinese generation, an opportunity to experience the unique sound Chinese folk music.

Despite his advancing years, Liu has other ambitions.

"I want to learn English," he said. "Language is another instrument for me to introduce Chinese folk music to foreign countries and for me to understand more of Western culture and get closer to young people."

(China Daily October 9, 2002)