Captured by the raspy voice of Pansori artist Kim Kyung-ho, I tried to keep up with ‘Jeokbyeok-ga’ (the war story). I could read it along in the book that was handed out, but I had to check the screen at the side of the stage to find out the right page. Unfortunately I forgot my glasses at home, so it was hard for me to decipher the English words. From time to time the text accelerated on the screen, which I mistakenly assumed to be a technical error. So I got lost. I didn’t realize that some of the paragraphs of the story could be skipped. The musicologist Dong-hyun, Choi probably explained about this in the introduction before the performance, in Korean…

So from the third Batang on, I decided to sit next to the screen with the relevant story book in my lap. Finally I started to understand and feel the structure, the moods and the rhythms. It reminds me a bit of the Affektenlehre, a German theory in the aesthetics of music in the Baroque era (1600–1750), in which musical means are linked to emotions. The different rhythms in Pansori are linked to certain moods, from very slow depicting sadness and solemness, to uptempo (almost like rap) suggesting cheerfulness and excitement. The art of storytelling includes timing, intonation, gestures, and dramatic expressions. A skilled singer incorporates the different characters flawlessly. Out of the five (or better six) Pansori singers, Zang Mung-hee who performed ‘Simcheon-ga’ (the story of a blind father and his daughter) absolutely stood out. Zang intensely knows how to grab your attention. Her performance lasted two and a half hours, but it was finished before you realized. It was almost like binge watching. Irresistible! Also the performance of the 70 years old Kim Soo-yeon with Kang Gyung-a (her pupil) was excellent. In turns they performed ‘Huengbo-ga’ (the story of two brothers). Each time they appeared in a different hanbok (traditional Korean dress). They finished together in unisono.

Not only me as a foreigner had to focus to be able to enjoy Pansori, the Korean audience has to make an effort as well. The words are ancient Korean and the way the voice is used doesn’t even come close to the cheerful K-pop style of singing. The pansori voice is hoarse, sometimes larmoyant, with beautiful ornaments. The drums are complex but minimal, giving the essential accents of the different measures. The ancient stories are fixed, but they are universal and identifiable for every one. A Pansori performance wouldn’t be complete without the encouraging shouts and clapping of the audience. So a new audience is required. To make it more accessible for adolescents one could try develop an interactive app. The good thing of the Sori Festival is that the school kids are exposed to traditional expressions of the Korean Culture, and beyond.