At 5am inhabitants of Bao Dap village in Nam Dinh province are stirred not by a rooster’s crow but by the sound of an old brass horn.
At 5am inhabitants of Bao Dap village in Nam Dinh province are stirred not by a rooster’s crow but by the sound of an old brass horn. The farmers slowly shuffle outside and make their way towards the fields, ambling alongside the lumbering buffalo. The children take longer to appear but soon they’re chatting and laughing all the way to school. Those staying at home tend to the domestic matters. Tinder is thrown on the fires and soon smoke is rising out of the chimneys.
The man who sounded the alarm is Nguyen Tri Phuong, a local farmer, who joins his fellow villagers in the field. Phuong is an accomplished musician. Good enough to teach others and there are plenty of willing students – approximately 70 per cent of the men in Bao Dap play brass instruments. There are 40 locals who are said to be of “professional standard” – half of whom are just 15-years old.
So, where did this passion for brass instruments and music in general come from?
“I learnt to play the French horn when I was very small. My teacher was Bui Dac Diem,” says Phuong, who is the leader of Bao Dap’s brass band. He refers to his teacher as a musician but Diem was also a simple farmer who discovered he had a passion for music and brass instruments at church.
“Our vicar showed me how to play the trombone when I was just 10 years old,” says Diem. “I loved playing so much I would cycle to Nam Dinh city just to find books on musical theory and brass instruments.”
The village orchestra Diem has never had formal training. He is entirely self-taught and learned how to play various anthems and hymns which he heard at Bao Dap parish church by ear. Diem also learned how to play the violin and piano. He was the obvious choice as conductor of the local orchestra. He was already teaching every member.
“At first my courtyard was jam-packed with students. There were no tables or chairs. We sat on ragged mats or stood while playing music,” says Diem. Diem didn’t form the first brass band – that was down to 82-year-old Nguyen Van Hinh. “I have lost some of my teeth,’ says Hinh with a smile. “So, I cannot play a complete song now.”
According to Hinh the villagers often play brass instruments at the church for funerals or weddings – or for private parties. In 1954, Bao Dap village had only 16 brass instruments. Residents had to work hard to afford a set of 40 antique brass instruments from France and drums. Until now, that tradition is being upheld.
The villagers continue to work hard and save up money to buy instruments and attend music classes. “Ten years ago, we sold our garden and borrowed more money to purchase a $2,300-piano for our son,” said Nguyen Thi Hoan. “Now he is a music teacher at the local secondary school. I am very proud of him!”
Every villager seems to send their kid to learn music from Diem or Phuong – each brass course lasts six months. Nobody can commit to learning or teaching music full time. Most of the villagers come from poor families and taking care of the family farm comes first.
Diem teaches people for free though he is often offered food as a form of payment. Others offer to help him cultivate his rice field in exchange for lessons. “My pupils are very poor, but they are so clever,” says Diem proudly. “They can learn in six months what other people need three years to do.”
