Gods and Spirits draws inspiration from the Nine Songs, an ancient set of Chinese poems (241-223 BC) attributed to Qu Yuan. The poetry, which was written for a performance, includes textual clues indicating the use of costumes and an extensive orchestra. In my music, I didn't use the poem directly. Instead, I focused on key words and the overall conception from the poems.

The first movement, Pan Gu, features a primordial being and creation figure in Chinese mythology. The chorus chants his name as the being who separated heaven and earth, creating geographic features like mountains and rivers.

The second movement, The Mountain Spirits, tells an ancient and melancholy tale of a goddess waiting for her lover forever, only to be disappointed.

The last movement, Dong Huang Tai Yi, also known as "Supreme Oneness of the Central Yellow," showcases the chorus constantly chanting the name of this god. At its intense and unison climax, the broad chorale gives way to a passage for the orchestra alone, with the voices rejoining for a great, glowing, and concluding chord.

(Wenbin Lyu, winter 2016)

2022 - The American Prize; 1st place (choral composition division); Danbury, CT

December 27, 2016; China Conservatory; Beijing, China; Beijing “Yi“ Symphony Orchestra & China Conservatory Choir & Weijia Chen, conductor