Sebastian's new composition for solo harp "The Legend of Chang'e" premieres this Sunday, April 19, at Irvine Valley College at the Fine Arts and Gallery Building, FA 110. A map of IVC can be found at the bottom of this blog post. Admission to the concert is free for all. Parking in Lot 6 is $5 per vehicle. Tremendous gratitude to Dr. Linda-Rose Hembreiker for commissioning and premiering this new work!
Program Notes for The Legend of Chang'e
A long time ago, in a land far away, there lived a woman named Chang’e, renowned for her beauty, wisdom and kindness. During her lifetime, ten suns rose together in the skies, scorching the Earth, causing extreme hardship and widespread suHering and death for all its lifeforms. Chang’e’s husband, the great archer Hou Yi, took it upon himself to return Earth to its previous balance by shooting down nine of those suns, leaving only one.
For his heroic deed, Hou Yi was rewarded with an elixir of immortality from the Jade Emperor. However, there was only enough of the elixir for one person. Unwilling to ingest the elixir immediately, and as a demonstration of his love and trust in his wife, he gave Chang’e the elixir for safekeeping to be hidden away for use at another time.
Hou Yi’s awesome deed led to him becoming king of the land. As his power grew, a growing sense of arrogance and tyranny overtook his formerly kind and humble nature, thus subjecting his people to authoritarian rule. His transformation was a source of sorrow for Chang’e. Hou Yi began asking his wife where she had hidden the elixir. Chang’e feared that if Hou Yi became immortal, the entire Earth would forever be subjugated to his cruelty. Her love for Hou Yi and her concern for the world led her to a heart-wrenching decision. One night, when Hou Yi’s tyranny had reached its peak, Chang’e drank the elixir herself. As her body transformed from mortal to an immortal form, it transformed and grew lighter, and she ascended toward the heavens. Realizing what Chang’e had done, Hou Yi aimed his bow and arrow at her as she ascended into the sky; however, he found he could not shoot down the woman he loved. Chang’e eventually landed on the moon, destined to exist eternally in solitude.
Recognizing her sacrifice, the Jade Emperor sent the Jade Rabbit to accompany her. This magical creature became her constant companion. It tirelessly pounded a pestle and mortar, creating more of the elixir of immortality that Chang’e had taken to transform into the moon goddess.
Consumed with regret and sorrow, Hou Yi devoted his life to searching for a way to reunite with his wife, but his eHorts were in vain. The story of Chang’e & Hou Yi is celebrated in the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival.
Celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, the festival honors Chang’e’s lunar ascension and the enduring love between her and Hou Yi.
