Voices in the Midst of War: A Review of 100 Anti-Japanese War Songs

Author: Gao Tian et al.
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-07-01
Features: The Great Anti-Japanese War left a legacy of awe-inspiring and earth-shaking achievements in history, and the heroic epic of this war was accompanied by the songs created by a large number of musicians, including the people's musician Nie Er and Xian Xinghai. The compilers selected 108 classic songs from over 600 collected anti-war songs and compiled them into this collection. Songs such as the "March of the Taiwan Volunteer Corps" and the "March of the Hainan Independent Brigade" are presented to readers for the first time. These songs reflect from multiple perspectives the heroic spirit of the Chinese nation united in resistance against Japanese aggression. In the "Classic Retrospective" section of the collection, there are over 30 articles that recount many little-known stories from the creation process of these songs, stirring the heart. For example, Tian Han, the lyricist of the "March of the Volunteers," was under surveillance and pursuit by the Kuomintang authorities when he wrote the lyrics. The time was extremely urgent, and the lyrics were written on a cigarette pack's tin foil, which was later dampened by tea, making the handwriting somewhat blurred. (Tian Han's recollection) Shortly after completing the lyrics, Tian Han was arrested. When handing the lyrics to Nie Er for composition, they were copied word by word from the cigarette pack's tin foil. Nie Er composed the music in a simple attic, where his landlord even threatened to evict him. (Nie Er's recollection) To avoid arrest by the authorities, Nie Er took the unfinished manuscript to Japan and completed the final version before sending it back to Shanghai for recording. Soon after, Nie Er drowned while swimming in Japan. The "Yellow River Cantata" was composed by the poet Guang Weiran (Zhang Guangnian) after being moved by the overwhelming Yellow River waterfall and the heroic boatmen's shouts as he crossed the river. He wrote a magnificent long poem titled "Yellow River Ode." After Xian Xinghai heard Guang Weiran recite the poem, he was deeply moved and said, "I am confident I can compose it!" In a simple earthen house in Yan'an, Xian Xinghai fought through illness for six days to complete this large-scale musical work consisting of nine movements. Anti-war songs not only possess profound ideological depth but also exhibit high artistic quality. Since their inception, they have been widely sung and remain popular to this day. Every line of their lyrics is infused with the fiery passion of the lyricists, and every note embodies the scorching blood of the composers.