GreenBkk Scoop | A Royal music Ceremony

A Royal music Ceremony

Thai cultural tradition continues through the modern era

Sacred percussion music added solemnity to the atmosphere as a stream of artists and guests entered the National Theatre at the wai khru, a ceremony held to pay respect to music teachers.

HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn places sacred cloth on the forehead of Thai classical music master Sirichaicharn Fachamroon during a ‘wai khru’ ceremony at the Fine Arts Department.

This year's ceremony, organised by the Fine Arts Department, was special in that a group of 12 senior musicians, performing artists and craft masters of the department were designated as heads of wai khru, a prestigious role that has been passed on through generations. The role is basically reserved for artists extraordinaire, typically distinguished ranad ek (Thai xylophone) players, according to tradition.

Presiding over the ceremony in August was HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, herself a talented Thai classical musician. The last royal presence at the sacred ceremony was made by His Majesty the King almost 30 years ago.

Senior artist Somrat Thongtae, now a designated ‘wai khru’ master.

Wai khru is an ancient ceremony for people in all fields of Thai classical art that mixes Buddhist and Brahmanic traditions. It involves food, flowers, the chanting of lyrical sacred text, called ongkarn, and music, as well as dance performances, which are presented as an offering to Hindu deities _ including Shiva, Ganesh and hermit _ and deceased human teachers, all represented by a mask or head.

During wai khru, a designated master leads the consecrated students in the chanting of sacred ongkarn text passages for each deity respectively. At the end of each chanting, a song dedicated to the deity is performed. This type of song, which is also featured in khon performances, is called pleng na phat. An advanced mode of music, each na phat signifies the movement of each deity. The practice is an invitation for the deities to give their blessings to students and worshippers. After the worshipping part is over, students line up for jerm, a ritual in which the paste of white clay moose is applied to the forehead of students by a wai khru master. Songs that are performed in this sacred ceremony are hierarchical. Students who hope to learn more advanced percussion music will go through another ritual, with the master holding the students' hands to play gong wong. Together, they play the first line of Sathukan, a song to worship the Lord Buddha, three times. For those wishing to learn homrong chao-homrong yen _ higher level music that typically accompanies a merit-making ceremony _ the master switches to the Tra Homrong song, repeating the first line three times.

Pithee Wai Khru, a book published by the Fine Arts Department, states that wai khru has existed since the Ayutthaya period. However, the ceremony's present format is believed to have been invented during the reign of King Rama VI and has change little since.

It is tradition for a music and performing art conservatoires to have their own wai khru ceremony once a year. The bigger the conservatoire, the more elaborate the ceremony is. Schools and universities that teach Thai classical music also hold this annual ceremony for their students. Another well-known place for an annual wai khru ceremony is Wat Phra Piren, where it is normally held on the second Thursday of September and wraps up with a pi phat competition.

While some conservatoires still follow the original tradition strictly by holding this ceremony on a Thursday, the day of the teacher god Phra Pharuehasabodi, many choose to have the event either on a Saturday or Sunday to make it more convenient for worshippers and students to attend.

A dance dedicated to music deities and teachers by artists and students of the Fine Arts Department.

The Fine Arts Department, formerly a music and performing art unit attached to the old Siamese court and currently an agency responsible for national culture promotion, is required to focus on maintaining the original tradition where wai khru is concerned. This includes the tradition of designating masters for the sacred ceremony. Yet, in the old days, the agency typically had a number of designated wai khru masters at any time.

However, the practice changed after the sudden death in 1982 of the last senior performing art master, Akom Sayakom. He failed to name any successors to take over the role before his death, which led to the unfortunate but brief discontinuation of the ceremony.

After a two-year lapse, the tradition was revived in 1984, after His Majesty the King took charge of assigning new wai khru masters. Five outstanding artists of the time _ Thirayuth Yuangsri, Thongchai Pothayarom, Thongsook Thonglim, Udom Angsuthorn and Sombat Kaewsucharit, who was then aged 34 _ received royal blessings for the prestigious role. The historic event, held at the Dusidalai Pavilion in Chitralada Villa, featured the passing on of the rare Phra Phirap dance to a group of senior artists and talented students to prevent the discontinuation of the sacred practice.

Leading the latest batch of artists to receive royal blessings from Princess Sirindhorn in this year's wai khru ceremony were khon-lakhon master Sombat Kaewsucharit, music master Sirichaichan Fachamroon and craft master Avuth Ngernchooklin, all of whom wore white traditional clothes similar to the rest of the designated masters.

Sombat Kaewsucharit leads a dance at the ceremony. In the background is a row of mask or heads of deities respected by music and performing artists.

Somrat Thongtae, senior performing art teacher of the Fine Arts Department who was made a designated master, said he was the third generation of designated artists since the revival of the sacred ceremony by His Majesty in 1984.

The second batch of wai khru masters was designated in 2000.

"The princess' presence in this year's ceremony is a thrill to all the artists," said Somrat.