Phu Tho Xoan singing refers to a unique performing art that has existed for a long time and is a valuable asset in the treasure of Vietnamese folklore. Like other folk songs, Xoan singing sometimes seems to be buried by time. But, as a persistent source flowing through thousands of years of history, the ancient oval is still preserved by folk artists.

Singing in the oval ward
There have been many legends, stories about the birth of Xoan singing. But one thing in common affirms the Xoan singing from the time of Hung Kings. Phu Duc artisans said that: In the past, there were three Hung Kings brothers searching for land, passing Phu Duc village at noon and staying at a forest near the village. From the forest, you look at the grass in front of you to see buffalo herds playing, singing, wrestling and tugging. Seeing this, the Elder immediately told his followers to bring songs they could teach more to the children. Also on this occasion, relatives treated the three Holy brothers with "lean bread" and beef.

From then on, every year, every 30th of December (lunar calendar), the villagers would make "lean cakes" to worship at noon, beef in the afternoon at Loi Len shrine - the place of worship of the Holy Ghost. On the second and third day of the first lunar month (lunar calendar), the people of Phu Duc opened the meeting. In the Conference, everyone replayed the scene of chanting, tug of war, wrestling in the yard. The custom of chanting and praying every year also stems from that event. So the oval song is also known as the oval song, sang Len Len.

Before the August Revolution in 1945, Xoan singing was usually performed in the spring, during festivals in some village communal houses in the province, so it was also called "communal singing". At that time, there were 18 guilds singing in Phu Tho area. But according to the latest statistics of the Provincial Museum, at present, there are only 4 Xoan guilds of Kim Duc and Phuong Lau communes of Viet Tri city: Xoan Thet ward, Phu Duc oval ward, and Kim Doi oval ward. , xoan an Thái ward. It is praiseworthy that in these 4 Xoan guilds, the whole night was still bustling with lyrics.

Artist Nguyen Thi Lien of An Thai Xoan Ward, Phuong Lau Commune, Viet Tri City said: “Currently, the ward has more than 40 members. In which, the youngest member is 8 years old and the oldest one is two artisans Nguyen Thi Y (90 years) and Nguyen Thi Hai (86 years). Many other artisans have also passed the age of 70, 80. But there are no absentee lessons in the lesson.

Mr. Bui Thi Hoi confided: “We are old, but we don't have much health to perform Xoan singing at the communal house but can still teach singing to our children and grandchildren. If not taught, when we die, the oval will die. ”

Among the artisans in An Thai oval ward, there is the family of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Lich - the boss of An Thai oval ward, who still has the next generations to study Xoan singing to continue the family's long-standing tradition (grandpa and Lich's father and father were also famous regional bosses). It was Mrs. Nguyen Thi Lich who established a class of Xoan singing to maintain this traditional art form, first to her children and then to the young people in the village.

Calendar boss said: “The class has been established for nearly ten years and also has more than a dozen grandchildren. It's just a shame that if you can train someone who can sing and beat to be able to perform, then it's time for them to graduate from high school and escape, and it's hard to gather again. So now in the ward, the number of young people singing or oval is not much.

Put hope in youth
It is well known that the most decisive factor in restoring Xoan singing is human issues. First of all are artisans and their precious memories. Fortunately, up to this point, oval still have "human treasures of living". Among them were some people who were approximately hundred years old. Fortunately, these ex-dancers are still so fascinated with their eyes that their eyes are blind, their backs are cuffed, their legs are weak and they still try to spread the love to sing to their descendants every night, still willing to lead young people to oval and mentoring children how to sing. They understand that the final decision for the survival of oval rests with the younger generation. "It is necessary to make them understand and love this kind of ethnic art, so that they can persevere in studying and singing well," - shared Ms. Lich.

In the midst of chaos with life, work, young people are increasingly exposed to new, vibrant and trendy types of music, in Phu Tho Xoan Ward, there are still a number of young people who are absorbed in the night. come to learn the artisans. 23-year-old Nguyen Nhu Quynh is an example. Quynh said that the song sucked into her from an early age when she was followed by her grandfather and her parents to go to the theater to watch the Xoan singing at the communal house every Tet or festival of the village. Now, I also want to learn singing so that my parents and everyone in the village can keep these songs.

Xoan singing is associated with the festival, with spiritual needs. Without being "rooted" in the festive land, Xoan singing will wither, though the endurance and endurance of this unique folk art has partly affirmed its intrinsic value. Therefore, when the space and time of the land festival is expanded, this is also a golden opportunity for this type to shine more and more.