[Review] Thus Have I Heard — Holding on to the Unbearable: A Contemporary Lens on Nanyin’s Ancient Dis/Resonance

It is what we cannot bear to let go of that defines us, than what we cannot do without. This sentiment resonates deeply with me throughout Siong Leng Musical Association's latest production, Thus Have I Heard, the inaugural part of The Silence of All Things trilogy.

Directed by Liu Xiaoyi, artistic director of Emergency Stairs, in collaboration with the Siong Leng’s artistic director Lin Shao Ling, the show introduces an intimate, reverent exploration of Nanyin, steeped in the philosophies of the Heart Sutra. Here, silence and sound converge in an experience that gestures toward an understanding of both the fleeting and eternal.

From the outset, Xiaoyi’s minimalist aesthetic prevails. The performance space is pared down, bathed in stark white light, revealing six empty chairs arranged across the front of the stage, standing as silent sentinels — a blank canvas within the black-box theatre that hints at an interior vastness. The setup does not rush to reveal everything. Instead, it invites the audience to gradually uncover layers of artistry as if peeling back the facades of the performers’ deeply ingrained craft. Through this act of unveiling, Xiaoyi brings us closer to the Nanyin musicians, to their mastery and memories, blending elements of sound, movement and shadows.

At the heart of Thus Have I Heard lies the delicate art (and history) of Nanyin — traditionally a music form performed in intimate spaces as an ensemble using traditional Chinese instruments such as the sanxian (三弦), pipa (琵琶), dongxiao (洞箫), and erxian (二弦). Xiaoyi’s staging isolates these musicians, allowing their instruments’ lyrical tones to reverberate with newfound intensity. In several sequences, one of the musicians performs a solo, giving the audience a chance to savour the nuanced voice of each instrument, each movement, as the sound drifts into silence — reinforcing the idea that even in silence, Nanyin persists, resonating within and beyond the musicians themselves. Under focused lighting, each instrument’s curves and wooden textures gleam in sharp relief, and the shadows cast on the pristine white floor trace the arcs of each instrument’s body, creating visual poetry that complements the aural experience. Each instrument becomes a character in its own right, silent yet expressive. A core theme in Xiaoyi’s vision appears to be this very mastery of silence and sound.

What also emerges from Thus Have I Heard is a profound reflection on mastery and identity. The Nanyin artists demonstrate that true mastery lies not in what one cannot do without, but in what one cannot bear to let go. At one point, the musicians, seated on the chairs, mimic the pose of playing their instruments — but without the instruments. Their ability to embody the music even without their tools reveals a deep connection with their art form.

The performance unfolds like a carefully orchestrated workshop, revealing the fruits of Xiaoyi's collaborative process with the Nanyin artists. Each segment feels like a deconstruction of the art form, allowing us to appreciate its individual components before reassembling them in our minds.

Xiaoyi's directorial framework, recognisable to those familiar with his body of work, serves as a systematic deconstruction of Nanyin. Yet, it never feels disruptive or disrespectful to the tradition. Instead, it offers quiet moments for appreciation and reflection to crystalise, allowing the purity of the craft to shine through. It becomes clear that Xiaoyi’s directorial approach is not about dismantling tradition, but rather creating a contemporary platform for it to surface and shine. The approach adeptly highlights the essence of Nanyin, a musical form that is melody-driven rather than harmony-driven. Nanyin’s stratified polyphony creates an intricate tapestry of sound, allowing each instrument in the ensemble to play a version of the same tune, resulting in an asynchrony that evokes anticipation and delay for the listener. Xiaoyi’s decision to isolate each musician from the traditional ensemble for solo performances not only accentuates this aspect but also transforms the way we experience these musicians’ mastery.

Throughout, Xiaoyi’s use of subtraction — removing embellishments to reveal what lies beneath — gives way to “negative space” or moments that suggest as much in their absence as their presence. These silent spaces encourage the audience to reflect, challenging us to linger in silence, to listen inwardly as we watch outwardly. It is an approach Xiaoyi has honed across years of experimental theatre, fostering a type of “contemporary platform” that reframes traditional arts not by altering their forms, but by recasting them as vital, immediate experiences in which their simplicity reveals timeless depths.

As the show reaches its contemplative finale, Didik Nini Thowok — an Indonesian dance icon and cultural luminary — returns to the stage, enriching the experience. His dance shifts between traditional Indonesian gestures, pop-lock robotic movements, and playful improvisations. Didik’s versatility onstage illustrates how a master of one tradition can inhabit multiple, varied personas, yet ultimately chooses a single art form to define his craft. His performance feels at once a homage to, and a playful deconstruction of, traditionalism, underscoring Xiaoyi’s intent to examine the intersections of tradition and innovation without losing reverence.

The musicians, now seated with their backs to us, face Didik, who, in turn, faces us. This arrangement — seeing from behind, looking out from their perspective — asks the audience to bear witness to what these artists have long experienced: a lifetime of witnessing, learning, and cultivating a sense of self within tradition’s unyielding presence. It leaves us with an enduring meditation: that mastery is not simply defined by performing with precision but by understanding when to let go, to simplify, and to listen within.

This production not only presents Nanyin’s beauty but also asks us to reflect on its place in a world of transience and cultural overlap. In its quietude, particularly recalling the infinite horizon of sea waves in a continuous loop, Thus Have I Heard offers us a vision of traditional art that is neither static nor stagnant, but a living meditation, offering meaning to those who will sit, listen, and perceive the silence at the heart of all things.

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Show attended:
The Silence of All Things: Thus Have I Heard
by Siong Leng Musical Association
Date: 11 Oct 2024
Venue: Esplanade Theatre Studio