Hyo-shin Na

Study War No More
(2003)

                                         for string orchestra


In 2002 I was asked to make an arrangement of a Korean folk song for the San Jose Chamber Orchestra. As I began work on the piece, early in 2003, the United States was openly planning its invasion of Iraq. Naturally, this affected the direction of the piece and, by the time I’d finished writing the music and had begun to copy it, the US was attacking Iraq. The piece is based on two songs; Down by the Riverside – an antiwar song sung during the Vietnam War and a Korean folk song called Chohanga. 

Down by the Riverside

Goin’ to lay down my sword and shield
Down by the riverside
Goin’ to lay down my sword and shield
Down by the riverside and
Study war no more
I ain’t goin’ to study war no more

Chohanga

An autumn night on the battlefield;
Someone plays a jade flute so sadly under the bright moon
A bird cries and flies away
Dear soldier, yes, you,
who doesn’t fall asleep so far away from home
Why in the world do you want to die there?
Who will ease the grief of your parents?
 

   (translated from the Korean by Hyo-shin Na)

Study War No More
 Published by Lantro Music - Belgium