Chua-ay

Chua-ay is based on a popular folk song from the Philippines that depicts the Igorot tribes at work, pounding the rice by means of a huge mortar and heavily weighted posts to separate the rice grains. The Igorot people live and work in the mountains of Luzon, the largest island of the Philippines. This piece begins with bird calls serenely chanted by two sopranos, followed by a set of rhythmic variations on the repetitive three-note theme of the Chua-ay. Foot stomps suggest the mortar and pestle action that also enhances the earthy character of this northern folk song, which is an extract from the larger work Scenes from the North.