"The wind is roaring, the horses are roaring, the Yellow River is roaring... Among the ten thousand mountains, there are many anti-Japanese heroes! In the green yarn tent, the guerrilla athletes are heroic! At the critical moment of national survival, an impassioned "Yellow River Chorus" was played in Yan'an, and quickly spread throughout the north and south of the great river, inspiring countless people with lofty ideals to rush to the front line to kill the enemy bravely, and playing a strong sound of the times when the Chinese nation saved its survival.
(Source: Yan'an Literature and Art Memorial Hall)
In 1939, outside the north gate of Yan'an, on the slope of the yellow earth with lush grass, a young man wearing a native cloth military uniform and barefoot straw shoes was holding his head high and directing a group of scrappy students to lead and sing. This old photo is exactly the scene when Xian Xinghai was conducting the choir to rehearse "Yellow River Chorus".
This anti-Japanese war song that spread throughout the north and south of the great river was also quite legendary in its birth process.
In 1937, the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression broke out in full swing, and the Chinese people set off a wave of unity against the Japanese invaders. The anti-Japanese national united front based on the cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party was formally formed.
In 1938, in order to cultivate literary and artistic cadres and literary and art workers of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Communist Party of China founded a comprehensive literary and art school in Yan'an, the Lu Xun Art Academy (later renamed "Lu Xun Art and Literature College"). In the winter of that year, Xian Xinghai, who served in the Third Department of the Political Department of the Military Commission of the National Government and participated in the music work of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, was invited to leave Han and come to Yan'an to take up the post of director of the Luyi Music Department.
It was also at this time that at the Yellow River's ancient ferry crossing, more than 100 kilometers east of Yan'an, the young poet Guang Weiran (formerly known as Zhang Guangnian) was leading the "Three Anti-Enemy Drama Teams" to prepare to cross the Yellow River from here and go to the front line of the Second World War Zone, where the anti-Japanese flames were burning. Along the way, I witnessed the scene of our army's officers and men crossing the great rivers along the Yellow River, in the midst of thousands of mountains, in the tents of green yarn, and defending the motherland with "determination to die." It was this rush on the banks of the Yellow River that became the source of inspiration for his future creations.
Guang Weiran (left) and Xian Xinghai (right) (Source: World Wide Web)
At the beginning of 1939, Guang Weiran was injured by falling from a horse on the front line and came to Yan'an to heal his wounds, and Xian Xinghai went to the hospital to visit. Comrades who had worked closely together reunited in Yan'an, and the decision to cooperate again was reached in the ward.
In just five days, the magnificent group poem "Yellow River Yin" with more than 400 lines flowed from the tip of the pen, and the whole poem used eight chapters to paint a magnificent picture.
One night, in the moonlight, in the cave, Xian Xinghai listened to the recitation of this poem together with the members of the "Anti-Enemy Drama Third Team". When he finished listening to the last sentence, "A warning of battle to the working people of the world", Xian Xinghai was completely moved by this magnificent poem, and he took the manuscript of the poem and hid in a small cave on the slope of "LuYi" mountain, composing music for it day and night.
(Source: World Wide Web)
For six days and six nights, Xian Xinghai supported his sick and weak body, and completed the whole poem composition on the soil kang, which was named "The Yellow River Chorus". Music conductor Wu Jianzhi took from Xian Xinghai a hand-bound book of music scores, which were copied on white pink lotus paper, the handwriting was clear and beautiful, the whole text was not scribbled, and each word was in the prescribed position. In that small earthen kiln, under the vegetable oil lamp with faint flames, a perfect combination of poetry and music gave birth to an immortal classic.
On May 11, 1939, at the music evening celebrating the first anniversary of the founding of Lu Yi, Xian Xinghai personally conducted a choir of more than 100 people to sing the "Yellow River Chorus". As soon as he finished singing, Chairman Mao even claimed three good praises. On July 8, Zhou Enlai, who returned to Yan'an, after watching the performance, wrote an inscription for Xian Xinghai: "Roar for the War of Resistance, compose a voice for the public!" ”
After the "Yellow River Chorus" was sung in Yan'an, it was quickly sung throughout China, inspiring countless enthusiastic young people to join the ranks of national liberation and greatly inspiring the anti-Japanese fighting spirit of the military and people throughout the country. For more than 80 years, the "Yellow River Chorus" has inspired generations of Chinese sons and daughters to forge ahead and forge ahead.
Source Communist Party member