Constraints/Creativity

EN
The ten Cantonese choral pieces on this album seek to connect humanity’s pursuits, yearnings, and emotional turmoil across different eras and cultures, drawing from ancient Chinese poetry, modern poetry, and Biblical scriptures.

Our journey begins with the 12th-century song dynasty lyric-poem Seeking, Searching. Li Ch’ing-Chao’s poetry often resonates with themes of longing and separation. Using images such as scattered yellow petals and the pattering rain, she expresses the pain of her fruitless search for her husband. In a similar vein, Withering Blossoms, Fading Scent illustrates a chilling autumn with dying red lotuses and fallen petals in the streams. These images symbolize the cruel passage of time as she longed for her loved one, with whom she was unable to reunite. In a more hopeful light, Hsin Ch’i-Chi wrote of a successful pursuit in Night at the Lantern Festival. After a relentless search amidst the festivity of blossoming trees, bustling streets, and dancing lanterns, the poet finds the one who stands aloof and solitary in the dim light.

When the worldly pursuits become wearisome, some turn to nature to recuperate. Hoping to sing Chang Chi-He’s Fisherman’s Song, Su Tung-Po rewrote Chang’s poem into Egrets around the Mountain to fit in a pre-existing tune. The poem paints a scene of tranquility with egrets, peach blossoms, and flowing water, offering a temporary haven in turbulent times. Two other settings of Su’s poems revisit the theme of yearning. Although both address the mid-autumn moon, they convey contrasting sentiments. In Life is But a Dream, the poet mourns the impermanence of life as he sits alone under the moon. Beneath the Moonlight, on the other hand, expresses a sense of hope. Even though he and his family are far apart, it brings him solace that they could glance at the same bright moon.

Moving into the 20th century, Maybe You’ve Grown Weary of Weeping also overflows with yearning in parting. Wen Yi-Tuo’s tender words to the deceased young girl emanate immense grief. He mentioned a world filled with curses, perhaps akin to what A Ditch of Despair describes. The ugliness and decadence of the earthly world are portrayed through the white foam, brocade, and rusty metal debris in the ditch. Yet, in such despair, love and faith offer a glimmer of hope. Love Never Fails explores what love is and expresses a firm belief that love can be an everlasting driving force of life. The album concludes with Psalm 23. It reminds us that even in the darkest valleys, we need not fear. For we are never truly alone as we weather life’s storms.

Perhaps it is through this journey of pursuit that we open more enchanting vistas than the destination itself ever promised.

ZH

人生是一場無盡的追尋。多少令人肝腸寸斷的情感，皆源於對世事的尋覓。這張專輯十首粵語合唱作品，以宋詞、新詩、聖經經文，串連起人在各個時代與文化中，尋尋覓覓的，到底所謂何事。

追尋之旅由宋詞《聲聲慢》開始。詞人李清照多寫相思與離愁。乍暖還寒時節的滿地黃花，打在梧桐樹上的點點冷雨，道出了遍尋不獲的哀傷。同樣地，《一剪梅》以凋零紅藕、落花流水描寫秋涼之景，隱喻時間無情流逝，彷彿所有追尋皆是徒勞。相反，詞人辛棄疾在《青玉案．元夕》，總算找到了那人。主角在開滿花的樹下、舞動的光影中、熙來攘往的道路上，尋找了千百度，終於在「燈火闌珊處」找到那位孤芳自賞、自甘寂寞的人。

追尋到疲憊之時，或可徜徉大自然，聊以解憂。蘇軾為唱出張志和《漁歌子》，將西塞山前的風景改寫成《浣溪沙．漁父》，以白鷺、桃花、流水織成一片平和寧靜，成為動盪時代的避風港。另外兩首蘇詞則再焦聚相思之情。雖然同是寫中秋月，卻演變成兩種懷思：《西江月．世事一場大夢》感嘆人生如夢，即使中秋月明，卻難掩孤獨。《水調歌頭．明月幾時有》則渴望月下團聚，雖然思念之人身隔千里，但仍能共賞一輪明月。

來到二十世紀，新詩《也許》同樣滿溢離愁別緒。聞一多對早夭少女的字字呵護，散發著無比傷痛。詩中那個充滿咒罵聲的地上世界，或者就如《死水》形容的那樣。塵世中的醜惡和腐敗，都寫進了死水中的白沬、羅綺、破銅爛鐵。絕望之際，唯有從愛與信仰中尋找希望。《愛是永不止息》探討愛為何物，堅信愛是恆久不滅，能成為導人前行的動力。專輯以《詩篇二十三篇》作結，深信行過死蔭幽谷，也不怕遭害，因為總有同伴，風雨同行。

也許我們在追尋旅途上，會遇見比目的地更旖旎的風光。