A Research On The Nuo-rite Music Of Guangchan Sect Of Xinhua County In Hunan Province

The middle part of Hunan province belonged to Mieshan area in ancient times, so Nuo(a kind of provincial drama featuring masked dancing to exorcise demons)is also called Meishan Nuo. The function of Meishan Nuo is similar to that of other areas, yet its culture is unique. It originated from the ancient Miao tribe, has a history of 4500 years. The ancient Meishan was the original living place of Miao and Yao tribe, so Nuo culture has a deep relation with their cultures. Under the influence of the different denominations and exterior factors from the vast Meishan area, Meishan Nuo has developed a number of branches.Guangchan sect in Xinhua county is a kind of Nuo which combines Shigong folk religion with Taoism. It has been inherited for five generations. This thesis will introduce its development and its social and cultural meanings. This thesis also keeps a detailed record of its recital ceremony and concludes that Guangchan sect worships the native gods, which clearly illustrates its difference from the Nuo-rite in central plains of China. Its stylish and musical distinctions with Taoism will also show up through comparison with the Taoism ritual ceremony in the thesis.The thesis introduces all kinds of musical types appearing in the whole ritual especially Taoism music and Nuo Opera from the multidisciplinary perspective of musicology, history, folklore and anthropology. Meanwhile, it elaborates the characters and cultural meaning of Guangchan sect as well as analyzes its musical characteristics in terms of the mode, scale, rhythm, melody and lyrics of the music. The local music is mainly played in the Nuo Opera and Buddhism music is also inserted if the plot needs it. However, Taoism music which often is played at the beginning of the ritual seldom appears in the Nuo Opera.In order to get the impersonal and exact first hand information, the author paid many visits to local people and built a good relationship with them, which enabled the author recorded the procedures, contents and music Guangchan sect of Nuo-rite. The author also collected some audio and photo materials as the basis of her subsequent analysis and rearrangement.