Recess! Media

Some of the most visually beautiful films are coming out of China these days, and so is some of the loveliest music for children. Here’s a little from the beginning of a song from the Guangdong region called “Hammock Hanging Between Betel Trees.” It’s on the new CD from the Beijing Angelic Choir called Chinese Lullabies:

Brief Sound Clip:

This collection of cradle songs from around China, sung in their local dialects, can sound like Puccini’s famous humming chorus at one moment, and, at another, its young singers work together in haunting, close harmonies, like the renowned Bulgarian Women’s Choir:

Brief Sound Clip:

Unfortunately, there isn’t an English translation of the notes for the music on the CD, and one wishes one knew the words that this exceptional group were singing. But this won’t interfere with the blissful serenity of this string of songs, about clear moons and quiet winds, drifting to the sounds of crickets and a bubbling stream . Someone has said that this CD provided the perfect cure for their colicky baby. I’d add that it works just fine for stressed-out adults as well.

Brief Sound Clip: