38 Repertoire
38.1 | Etude in G Major, Op. 108, No. 12
Ludwig Schytte
(Denmark, 1848–1909)
Commissioned Repertoire
38.2 | Variations on “Dayung Sampan”
Malaysian Folk Song, arr. Chee-Hwa Tan
About the Folk Song
“‘Dayung Sampan’ (Paddle the Sampan boat or Voyage of the Sampan) is a Malay folk song of Chinese origin. A sampan is a basic 3-plank boat commonly seen in Southeast Asia. In a Chinese dialect, ‘sam’ is three and ‘pan’ is plank. The lyrics communicate the hopes of immigrant traders as they row from mainland China to Singapore, finally turning north to end in Malaysia. These lyrics are based on the traditional Malaysian folk song which has a pentatonic melody. Several different versions of lyrics exist.” (Chee-Hwa Tan)
Hear an authentic vocal recording of ‘Dayung Sampan’ here: https://dayungsampanmusic.com/product/a-malay-folk-song-series/
| Malay lyrics | English Lyrics |
| Verse 1
Dayung Sampan, |
Verse 1
Paddle sampan, |
Concepts explored:
- Right-hand extension to sixth
- Changing fingers on the same note
- Blocked, simple broken, and secondo accompaniment styles
- Lateral shifts
- Improvisation
Options for Ensemble:
- Partner with Var. 1 on second keyboard
- Combine with partner improvisation (e.g. on root, 2nd, and/or 3rd of chord)
About the Composer
Chee-Hwa Tan
In her compositions, Chee-Hwa Tan explores the tonal colors of the instrument, encouraging performers of all ages to connect through emotion, story, and sound. Her landmark work, A Child’s Garden of Verses, a collection of tone-poem etudes for solo piano, has for decades empowered musicians young and old to discover their artistic voices through the synthesis of literature and music. Chee-Hwa’s solo piano music is published by Piano Safari, the Royal Conservatory of Music, Canada, and the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, London. Her publishing company Dayung Sampan Music expands her philosophy of music making and artistry to other vocal and instrumental combinations at all levels. A native of Malaysia and a naturalized U.S. citizen, Chee-Hwa has served on the faculties of the University of Denver Lamont School of Music, the Oberlin Conservatory and Southern Methodist University. Learn more about Chee-Hwa’s music and philosophy at https://chee-hwa.com/