pong dang pong dang (ssaa)

Cultural Context

The original Pong Dang Pong Dang is a famous Korean traditional song, especially for children. The text contains beautiful imagery of a little boy playing near a pond where his older sister is washing herbs. The words are an onomatopoeia of the plopping sound of pebbles into the water. The original tune was composed by Korean composer and violinist, Nanpa Hong (1989 – 1941), with text by Seok-Jung Yoon during the Japanese colonial period in the early 20th century.

Program Notes

Completed in March 10 of 2018, Pong Dang Pong Dang was recorded by the Kammerchor Manila—directed by Anthony G. Villanueva—in June 2018 in Santo Tomas University Museum in Manila, Philippines. It was included in the composer’s book of choral works named Festive Magnificat.

Performance Notes

Pong Dang Pong Dang can be divided into two parts. The first part uses the whole tone scale. Singers should close immediately to the “ng” and receive prominence. Percussion should strive for a bright tone. In m. 37, a small group is sufficient for the “shh!” Give the melody prominence starting in the following parts: m. 12 (S1), m. 21 (A1), m. 22 (A2), m. 23 (A1), m. 25 (S2), m. 26 (S1), m. 27 (S2), and m. 28 (S1).

Hyun Kook