Video sample

1. Program Title

2. Ensemble of Court Music
Tieu nhac (Small Court Music) orchestra: "Long Ngam"- praises to the King
Performed by: Hue Court music Orchestra
In the past, Tieu Nhac ensemble (Small Court Music Ensemble) used to perform in royal procession and feast. Instruments in ensemble include 3 families namely percussion, aerophone, and chordophone (plucking and bowing). In addition to ensemble performance, Tieu nhac also functioned to accompany singing and dance or in co-performance with other Royal Ritual orchestras. Nowadays, Tieu nhac orchestra preserved in Hue city consists of instruments such as Nguyet, Ty ba, Tranh, Tam, Nhi, Flute, Small drum, Senh tien (Castanets with coins), Tam am la (Triangle flat gongs).
According to History of Vietnam (the whole volume), Long Ngam is a name given to a musical piece that was composed under Tran dynasty (13th century) by a mandarin Trinh Trong Tu in the event of funeral of the King Tran Nhan Tong.

3. Ensemble of Court Music
Dai nhac (Great Court Music) orchestra: "3 movements of Ai- Thuong- Cung dao"
Performed by: Hue Court music Orchestra
Among Court music orchestras in the past, Dai Nhac (Great Court music orchestra) was an orchestra that was recognized as big-scale one regarding quantity of instruments and volume, consisting of over 40 instruments. Especially for percussion, 3 kinds of substances are seen namely stone (Bien khanh), brass (bien chung), and leather (drum). Great Court music orchestra is performed in concert with other orchestras in great ceremonies of the Court at King's presence, for instance, Dai Trieu ceremony, Thuong Trieu ceremony, Te Giao, and a number of others. Nowadays, instruments in Dai Nhac orchestra preserved in Hue much reduce in number. There are only seen Great oboe (Ken bau dai), Medium Oboe (ken bau trung), Bong drum, Chien drum, buffalo-horn block, castanets with coins, and Nhi fiddle.
The three movements Ai - Thuong - Cung dao are performed in cycle and usually played in Vietnamese Court music.

4. Xam singing genre
Excerpt of "Cong cha ngai me sinh thanh" (Gratitude to parents' birth giving)
Performed by: Eminent artist Ha Thi Cau
Xam is a roving singing genre that is performed nation-wide. But only ancient Xam singing of Northern plains have own tunes. Song "Gratitudes to parents' giving birth" belongs to "Xam Thap An tune" or "Xam tune of Ten Graces" with content to counsel people to always keep in mind gratitude to parents for having given birth and brought them up. When performing, Xam singer sings and plays Bau monochord or Nhi fiddle, while other instrumentalists play Senh (wooden clappers) and Manh drum. These two instruments are so popularly used in Xam orchestra. Sometimes, there are also seen De drum, Mo (wooden block) or some other instruments.

5. Ensemble of Sac bua Gongs
Repertoire: "Bong trang, bong vang"- White and Yellow flowers
Performed by: Group artists of Muong ethnic group in Hoa Binh province. Ensemble of Gongs of Muong people in northern mountainous region is closely linked to Happy-New-Year ceremony or Sac Bua ceremony. When the New Year comes, a group of performers called Phuong Bua, of whom, each plays a gong to every family to sing new-year greetings. The ensemble usually consists of 12 bronze bossed gongs of various sizes, of which, each has its own name representing its pitch. In the past, 12 Sac bua gongs had to be played by 12 girls symbolizing 12 months.

6. Khua luong (idiophone)
Performed by: Group artists of Thai in Thanh Hoa province
Luong is a boat-shaped rice mortar of 225cm long with 6 pestles that are played by 6 performers. In working reality, Thai people in low mountainous region in Northern Vietnam turn Luong from a working tool into a percussion instrument. To produce different timbres and rhythms, people play Luong by beating pestles to the hollow or the inner wall of Luong, or striking them to one another. Khua Luong has become a popular musical practice among Thai people' life.

7. Kenh dancing of Mong minority in Ha Giang province
Performed by: Giang Seo Gio
Kenh is a multiphonic aerophone of Mong people living in northern mountainous regions of Vietnam. For Mong people, Kenh is both an instrument and a dance property used exclusively by men. Mong men usually play Kenh to express their love feelings to girls, and these dances "Lan doc" and "Choi ga" have served as a bridge bringing forth love to many Mong couples.

8. Solo Pi Tot (Nose flute)
Performed by: Folk artist of Thai minority in Yen Bai province
Pi Tot is a transversal flute of Khomu minority living in northern mountainous regions of Vietnam. The instrument is a bamboo or hornless bamboo tube of 79 cm long and has one end covered with node. On the tube, there is only 1 hole for blowing and 1 finger hole for pitch. Register of Pi Tot covers La - Do - Re - Mi. Pi Tot is a played exclusively by women and with nose. When playing, instrumentalist places the flute horizontally at her nose so that she can both blow and sing. At crop harvests or at nights at rice-watching cottages, Khomu women usually play Pi Tot as if they were calling friends to relieve sadness.

9. Ensemble of An Toong (idiophone), Car doc a dol (aerophone), and A Doong (idiophone)
Performed by: Group artists of Ta oi minority in A Luoi, Thua Thien Hue, Ta Oi people or Pako people living in Central Highlands of Vietnam possess many instruments which are closely linked to daily activities and are easily made from local materials. An Toong is an idiophone consisting of 7 wooden slabs of various lengths hung on a stand. Car doc a dol is a free-vibrated reed instrument made from chamois horn. A Doong is a bamboo tube functioned as a block. These three instruments are played in ensemble by men in daily activities of Ta Oi community.

10. Duo A'reng (aerophone)
Performed by: Ka Ve - Vo Hoang
Folk artists of Pako minority in A Luoi, Thua Thien Hue
Areng is a vertical flute with reed. This is a hornless bamboo tube of 36 cm length and 0.5 cm diameter. Register of Areng is within an octave covering Sol - La - Si. Areng is played in courtship singing for couples express their love to each other. The most special feature in playing this flute is two persons can play the same tube of flute as one person blows one end while the other holds the other end in his/her mouth and at the same time his/her throat making sounds of different pitches.

11. Ensemble of Chinh Knah (gongs)
Performed by: Group artists of Ede Kpa minority
Ede Kpa people in Dac Lac province call bossed gongs Cing and flat gong Knah. A set of Cing Knah consists of 9 units made from bronze and of various sizes. The smallest gong is 34 cm diameter and the biggest one is 51cm diameter. Each gong has its own name and played by one person. When playing, instrumentalist places gong on his thigh, then his left fingers touch and untouch the gong at times to make effect of lengthening or shortening the sound while he uses a stick to strike the gong with his right hand. Cing Knah is the instrument exclusively played by men and indispensable to festivals of Ede people.

12. Solo Dinh Tacta (aerophone)
Performed by: Y Nuech Eban, folk artist of Ede minority
Ding Tacta is an airophonic instrument of reed branch. A hornless bamboo tube of 44 cm long and 2 cm diameter is put through a dry gourd making the instrument. In the bamboo section within the gourd locates a bamboo reed. The hornless bamboo section outside the gourd has 3 finger holes, of which, 2 holes at upper part and 1 at lower position. Peduncle of the gourd serves as a blowing spout. Ding Tacta gives following range Sol - La - Do - Re - Mi. Ding Tacta is only played by men. This musical piece is played to rouse girl from sleep to pound rice.

13. Solo K'lung K'lor (idiophone)
Performed by: Y Char Bu"n Jang- H'sach Buon Jrang
Folk artists of M'nong gar minority in Dak lak
K'lung K'lor is a idiophonic instrument consisting of 4 dry wooden tube of different sizes hung up a stand. The shortest tube is 100 cm long and 4 cm diameter, and the longest one is 135cm long and 6cm diameter. Stick is a wooden piece or a trunk. K'lung k'lor gives a range of about an octave covering Mi - Fa# - Si - Re# . People usually play K'lung K'lor to drive wild animals away in order to prevent them from destroying their fields. This musical piece is played by one man and one woman according to a tune for gongs of Mnong gar people in Dac Lac province.

14. Ensemble Musumtabang (Rejoice for reunion)
Performed by: Cham orchestra in Ninh Thuan province
Musumtabang in Cham language means Rejoice for reunion. This is a song cycle consisting of ensemble musical pieces that are usually played in family or community festivals of Cham people in Ninh Thuan province. In the ensemble, three instruments which are compared to the parts of body include a pair of Ghi nang drum as firm legs, Paranung drum as body, and Saranai oboe as head. Besides, the ensemble also sees existence of Kanhi fiddle and a number of percussion instruments such as block (mo), tintinnabula (luc lac), and cymbals (chap choa).

15. Solo Ku puot (aerophone)
Repertoire : "Na KÝeh A u" (Caring milpa)
Performed by: Chamaleh A u, artist of Raglai minority in Ninh Thuan province
Kupuot is a multiphonic aerophone with free-vibrated reed. The instrument comprises 6 hornless bamboo tubes of various sizes, of which, the shortest tube is 37cm long and the longest tube is 78cm long. Each tube is about 2 cm in diameter. All tubes are arranged into 2 rows of 4 and 2 and put through a dry gourd. In the bamboo section of each tube within the gourd locates a bronze reed. The hornless bamboo section of each tube outside the gourd has 1 finger hole. Kupuot has following range: Re - Fa# - Sol - La. Kupuot is the instrument only played by men in many daily life activities among Raglai community in Ninh Thuan province. The musical piece "Caring milpa" is played while people are in the milpa.

16. Ngu Am Ensemble (music ensemble of five instrumental timbres)
Repertoire : Cau noc
Performed by: orchestra of Chruitim Candal Pagoda
Kh'mer minority in Soc Trang province
The very musical piece is played in "Buddha Worship" ceremony of the southern Kh'mer people. In the Ngu Am ensemble, instruments are usually arranged in set. Two sets of Cuong (the big one and the small one) consist of 32 bronze bossed gongs. Three sets of Roneats having boat-like shapes are thus called Boat instruments. Roneat Ec comprises 19 bamboo slabs, Roneat Thom consists of 16 wooden slabs, and Roneat Dek is made up of 21 iron slabs. These sets are played in ensemble with a pair of drums including Scor Phluong which is played with sticks and Scor Pho which is slapped with hands. The Ngu Am ensemble is also played to accompany singing and dancing in many other musical activities of the Southern Kh'mer people.