Homeward Boat in Wind and Rain

Introduction

A chaqu listed among Tianjin danxian's representative works, recorded by Chang Shutian on the Gaoting label

Homeward Boat in Wind and Rain is a traditional chaqu, one of the short sung pieces of the danxian linked-tune repertoire. When Tianjin danxian was added to the national intangible heritage list, this chaqu was named among its representative works together with Xiaoxiang Lodge, In Praise of Leifeng and Visiting Jingde. The Rulan Chao Pian papers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong library keep a hand copy of the piece as sung by Chang Shutian on a Gaoting record, copied from the anthology Da Xikao. Chang Shutian, who led one of the three great danxian singing schools of Tianjin, died in 1945, so his version predates that year. Chaqu arose in the Kangxi reign of the Qing, and is usually sung by a singer tapping an octagonal drum to sanxian accompaniment.