'Our Village Concert'

Kim Ji-myung

When the first "Our Village Concert" was held with a men's choir singing at an elementary school auditorium in Seojong-myeon on the evening of April 29, 2000, no one expected to see the event continue for the next 16 years.

The Dongseong Teen OB Choir presented many beautiful songs for the residents of that village, and people of all ages loved it.

Last Saturday (June 25), the villagers enjoyed a diverse repertoire of saxophone music, from "Vocalise" by Rachmaninoff to "Magia" by Choi Hil, director of the Korea Saxophone Ensemble. As usual, the audience of this 154th Our Village Concert included many children and grandparents, many of whom are amateur instrument players themselves.

"At the beginning, nothing came easy. No experience, no place for the performance, no money," said Chung Yeong-sim, the current and third chairperson of "Seojong People."

A few leaders of the village, who used to chat over some drinks, reached the conclusion that it was necessary to set up a team to implement the plan. They began their "Seojong People" organization on Jan. 8, 2000.

Seojong, some 50 kilometers to the east of Seoul, along the scenic Bukhan-gang (North Han River), has long been a coveted countryside settlement for writers, painters, musicians and many liberal souls.

The forefathers of the now-famous Our Village Concert envisioned that these concerts and recitals would provide great opportunities for cultural experiences, especially for those children and teenagers who live far from the cultural centers of downtown Seoul.

Another and more subtle goal for them was to resolve the indistinct antagonism between the "original" residents and the "moved-in" settlers from Seoul, and to create an ambiance of harmony among them.

Slowly and steadily, they expanded their personal networks and acquired organizing expertise.

For the 154 concerts held between April 2000 and June 2016, 18 teams came to the village from abroad to perform. Some of them were surprised to see the small hall in this village of only 7,000 residents. But the performers were seldom disappointed by the reactions from the ardent and appreciative listeners of all ages.

The audience would number between some 80 and 350, depending on the repertoire. The music hall is not designed to accommodate more than 200, but somehow people find space inside. Adults have been willing to stand in the hallway or along the walls, while most children like to sit on the floor in front of the stage.

Every summer, in August, the concert moves out onto the spacious sports field, on the riverside road. The "Bukhan-gang Weekend Music Festival" is a very popular cultural event, not only for the village but for the whole Yangpyeong-gun County area. At this special outdoor concert, a full-size stage equipped with a good-quality sound system and lighting is employed. Families arrive with baskets of food, drinks and mats, and wheeling baby carriages.

Three operas and five orchestral performances were presented in the 16 years of concert history. Not only classical instrumental music but also vocals, some parts of stage musicals, jazz and Korean traditional "Gukak" music have been performed.

Korea's weather is unpredictable in August, and rain and thunderstorms sometimes ruin the concerts. For the organizers, one of the most memorable and moving moments happened some years ago when the audience remained seated until the end, listening to the music amid pouring rain.

The 100th concert brought public attention to and recognition for this unprecedented and experimental cultural endeavor. Hot media coverage and some small financial support from local authorities surprised the Seojong People group, and this served as unforgettable encouragement to them.

By Korean standards, the operational principles of Our Village Concert are quite unusual. First, there is no free entrance. Everyone must buy a ticket _ 500 won for kids, and 1,000 won or more for adults, the same price since 2000. Second, the audience, especially children, and youngsters, always take a group photo with the performers after the concert. Third, they turn down all proposals for sizable sponsorship, to maintain their independence. Fourth, they always pay the performers in some way, sometimes with gifts of porcelain or paintings donated by local artists. Of course, all the organizing members also work as volunteer managers and stagehands.

"Children are the key target audience for us," says Lee Cheol-sun, director of the Yangpyeong Art Museum and the former chairperson of Seojong People. "They learn and enjoy music; but what's more important is to familiarize them with the world of art _ the joy of music, manners as an audience, how you respect the performers, the value of the various performing arts, how you meet people of similar taste, and more. It is real education that will benefit them for the rest of their lives."

The list of performers attests to the beyond-expectation quality of these village concerts. To name just a few: the Czech Brass Ensemble, Irish Chamber Orchestra, Monaco Royal Boys Choir, Warabi-za Theatrical Troupe of Japan, Don Cossack's Choir and Kavraz Dance Ensemble, Russian Moscow Children's Choir, Korea Festival Ensemble, and the Shema Wind Orchestra. Many more Korean groups playing traditional and Western music have also participated.

The best part of each concert comes after the show. The performers, organizers, audience and staff heartily enjoy sharing food and drink at nearby restaurants in this small town. In this way, Seojong People are writing a new chapter in the history of local voluntary cultural movements in Korea.

Everyone is invited to this year's special Summer Concert, which will be held on Aug. 23.

The writer is the chairwoman of the Korea Heritage Education Institute (K*Heritage). Her email address is Heritagekorea21@gmail.com.