Catherine Falk recorded Seng Thao (Xeem Thoj) singing the Qhuab Kev and both singing and then playing the Qeej Tu Siav on the qeej in Melbourne in 1992. With the help of Vangmar Virathone, she has transcribed the sung texts into Hmong and translated them into English, and placed the sung and qeej parts in musical transcription. Seng Thao also provided the numbers of the pipes he plays for each syllable of the sung text in the Qeej Tu Siav. Here are some samples of the work in progress which will be published by the Centre for Studies in Australian Music at the University of Melbourne (e mail j.hill@music.unimelb.edu.au for orders) early in 2000. The publication will include a CD containing excerpts of Qhuab Kev and Qeej Tu Siav.
Please email your comments about this work to c.falk@music.unimelb.edu.au.
Song 1: This is the musical transcription, with the Hmong text, of the opening of the Qeej Tu Siav as it was sung
Qeej 1: This is how the qeej plays the song of the previous example.
Qeej Tu Siav: Text and Translation