Chapter 141 – In Perfect Harmony
It was another early morning. Jiangcheng, a small town in the south, was slowly awakened by a warm song.
“A small town in the south, where time flows slowly, I feel calm every time I come back here…” Yang Yi crooned1This means to hum or sing in a soft, low voice, especially in a sentimental manner.to Mo Fei’s guitar accompaniment. Although full of tender feelings, his voice was still a little thick.
This was the first time they get up in the morning to practice singing! Of course, there was no way Mo Fei could get up earlier than Yang Yi. Yang Yi went out when the sky was still dark. When he came back from running, practicing martial arts, and grocery shopping, he woke her up from her bed, who was still sleeping soundly.
They didn’t go anywhere. They close the bedroom window and went to the big balcony. Mo Fei leaned against the balcony railing, and Yang Yi stood against the wall, watching the rising sun through Mo Fei’s hair, that had been blown up by the wind, dyed in golden light.
In the morning, he has to open his throat2‘Opening the throat’ is defined as a technique whereby pharyngeal space is increased and/or the ventricular (false) vocal folds are retracted in order to maximize the resonating space in the vocal tract. Read more about it HERE. first. After some practice, Mo Fei asked Yang Yi to sing a song to listen to. Yang Yi couldn’t sing many songs in this world. He chose “South Town” that Guo Ziyi had performed for him before.
Surprisingly, Mo Fei liked this kind of folk jazz song and was familiar with the song. So, she grabbed the guitar and took the initiative to accompany Yang Yi.
“…I am here to sing this song alone, and you won’t know.” Yang Yi finally finished singing. He was still reveling in it. He always felt good when he sang to himself.
However, Mo Fei shook her head and mercilessly said: “Yang Yi, your voice is not suitable for singing this kind of song.”
“Ah?” Yang Yi was dumbfounded.
“Your voice is that of a tenor type. If you sing a high-pitched song, you might be able to control it more easily, but ‘South Town’ is no good. Your voice is low and heavy. You can’t sing a folk song, which has a refreshing feel.” Mo Fei explained patiently.
Yang Yi knew that when he was in the army before, he was the loudest.3Yang Yi was referring to original Yang Yi when he was in the army. Original text was Yang Yi knew that “this body” was the loudest when he was in the army.
But Yang Yi didn’t like singing high-pitched songs. A lot of high-pitched songs were mainly about showing off skills. How could it convey the emotion or express one’s true feelings? Take Yang Yi’s favorite folk songs for example. How many of them need the singer tilt their heads back and express their feelings in a highly penetrating high-pitched voice?
“How can I broaden my vocal range?” Yang Yi thought about it and asked Mo Fei, “Your voice is very good. Isn’t it reported that your voice can span three octaves?”
“You also know this?” Mo Fei looked at Yang Yi, a little surprised.
In her songs, there was no high-pitched part that requires her to burst out so much energy, but once in a music program, she accepted the challenge arranged by the host and really sang live, singing across octaves.
“But it’s okay to tell you, I can indeed sing three octaves, but this is based on my innate wide vocal range, achieved from practice.” Mo Fei said with a smile. “My mother knew a lot about music herself, so when I was a child, she found that I had a very good voice, so she asked me to do a lot of special exercises.”
“Your voice is basically fixed now, and it’s hard to change it through practice.” Mo Fei hesitated for a moment, but still told Yang Yi the cruel truth.
After all, he was already an old man nearing his 30s…
Yang Yi smiled wryly.
Mo Fei comforted him, “But it doesn’t matter. Singing a song well actually has nothing to do with the breadth of your vocal range, but with the quality of your voice. Your voice is very good, bright and clear, and if you sing the right song, it will have a good effect.”
Yang Yi frowned slightly, and he said, “I want to sing this song well. Is there no other way beside changing the song?”
Could it be that even after getting a new life, I can only listen to my favorite songs? Yang Yi was not reconciled.
Mo Fei shook her head and said with a smile, “You misunderstood what I meant. Moreover, you have misunderstandings in your own way of thinking. To sing a song well, does it have to be in accordance with the original singer’s way of singing? Even with “South Town”, you can sing it according to your own singing style. You don’t have to try to imitate Cao Fang. You can always sing other people’s songs with your own style.”
Mo Fei felt that her words weren’t convincing enough. She picked up the guitar, gently plucked the strings and said, “I’ll sing a song, and you listen to it.”
“A small town on the south, where there is no radiance, I feel calm every time I come back here…” Mo Fei’s ethereal voice sounded, but only for a moment, then came to an abrupt end.
“This is the original version.” Mo Fei stopped and said to Yang Yi.
Then she played a short prelude and continued to hum.
“Huh!” Yang Yi’s ears were still very sharp. He could hear Mo Fei’s rhythm suddenly became lively.
Although it was still the same voice, Yang Yi seemed to feel that if he closed his eyes and listened, he would feel that the singer was a pure and lively girl who loves to laugh. The song was less sad, and a bit more lively, not too sweet and soft, just right. (Note 1).
Unfortunately, Mo Fei stopped after singing for a while, and then she changed her singing style, but this time the rhythm was basically the same as the original, but Mo Fei’s voice was a little deeper, a little hoarse, and there was a sense of vicissitudes of life. (Note 2).
“What do you think? It’s possible to sing the same song in different style and produce different feeling, right?” Mo Fei smiled and said to Yang Yi.
“Um…” Yang Yi began to speak but stopped.
Mo Fei still saw it, and she said, “If you have any questions, tell me! What are you embarrassed about?”
Yang Yi blushed slightly. He pointed to the guitar and said, “Can you sing it again? just use your second style of singing. I think it sounds really good.”
Mo Fei naturally satisfied his request, and her slender fingers plucked the strings and began to sing in a brisk rhythm.
“……I am here to sing this song alone, people just smile, oh, smile……”
Yang Yi listened attentively in silence. He could hear that in the second “smile”, Mo Fei displayed her talent openly and sang in a beautiful and lively style.
At the same time, he saw Mo Fei’s smiling eyes, like the sparkling canal behind her in the rising sun, like the flowing gentle autumn water waves4It is the ripples of the lake in the autumn breeze, clear and dynamic. However, in the poems of the ancients, this autumn wave has evolved into a woman’s eyes, the so-called “eyebrows are like green mountains, eyes are like autumn waves”. This was describing Mo Fei’s eyes, I think..
Yang Yi remembered another poem that was not consider a poem: “Beautiful eyes glance over, holding in words and laughter until they couldn’t be distinguished.” (Note 3).
Perhaps, the woman in Tao Yuanming’s works who was in harmony with her zither was also as intellectual and beautiful as Mo Fei.
As he was lost in thought, Yang Yi forgot to conceal his gaze5He was unreservedly staring at her.. Mo Fei blushed because of his infatuated look, and even sang a little out of tune, but she didn’t pay attention to it, and Yang Yi didn’t hear it.
“Ok, it’s your turn to listen to me and help me see where I can improve!” After Mo Fei finished singing, in order to conceal her heart beating crazily like a fawn jumping around, she pretended to shake the stack of manuscripts in her hand and said.
She also wanted to practice the songs that Mu Li’ang wrote for her! When she sang “You Exist In My Song” the night before, Mo Fei unexpectedly got some good suggestions, so Mo Fei felt that Yang Yi still has his unique talent in music.
“No problem.” Yang Yi reined in his thoughts and said confidently.
(Note 1: for those who want to hear it, you can go to NetEase Cloud Music and search “South Town” and listen to the version sung by a singer named Shi Yu. Note 2: Everyone go to listen to the version of Li Wenxiang. Note 3: This “poem” comes from Tao Yuanming’s “Xianqing Fu”, TN: I didn’t understand the rest, sorry. Here’s the raw: 意思是“顾盼之际美目中秋波流动,时而微笑言语而不分散奏乐的心神”,有一说是这个是写给他丧妻后续娶的翟氏,翟氏是一个贤良的女子,与陶渊明“志趣亦同,能安苦节,夫耕于前,妻锄于后”。)(This is Author’s Notes)
TN: If you want to listen to the song “South Town” by Cao Fang, you can listen to it HERE.
TN: Shi Yu version of the song that was mention in Note 1: HERE. Btw it didn’t play for me due to copyright protection.
TN: Li Wenxiang version of the song that was mentioned in Note 2: HERE.
TN: If you like my translations support me in ko-fi: Here.
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