Program Note:

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Written for the Beacon Ensemble x The Boston troubaDours collaboration Shen Nong, his drug dream, and a bizzare journey on the mountain...

Narration text: Text by Yangfan Xu

 

Part 1

This is the story of Shen Nong.. the divine farmer of ancient times, who traveled through mountains and forests tasting herbs to understand their powers. One day, deep in the mountains, Shen Nong encountered a strange grass he had never seen before.

Its shape was thin and pale.

Its smell was sharp and unfamiliar.

He tasted it.

Moments later, poison spread through his body.

His vision blurred. His steps grew heavy.

Shen Nong collapsed on the mountain path, between towering trees and drifting clouds, and he fell into a deep sleep.

 

Part 2

In his dream, the mountain remained the same, but the air began to move.

The wind gathered and swirled, and from it appeared Fengbo the god of wind.

Fengbo carried a large cloth bag tied with a rope.

He loosened the knot.

And wind rushed out in all directions, climbing trees, circling rocks, and lifting Shen Nong to his feet.

Fengbo released the bag, and the wind calmed. Shen Nong and Fengbo began walking up the mountain together.

 

Part 3

As they climbed higher, they encountered a human figure standing among the rocks.

She wore strange clothing and carried unfamiliar tools.

She said she was an oceanographer from the 21st century.

A scientist who studies the sea. She did not know how she arrived on the mountain.

She only remembered waves, instruments, and open water.

The three continued upward.

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Soon after, they met another being.

Their body was small and unfamiliar.

Their skin reflected light like metal.

They explained that they were an alien, captured on Earth by humans from the future and brought to this place by accident.

Not far behind them walked a three-humped camel.

Its fur was covered with dust from distant deserts.

No one knew where it came from or how it had reached the mountain.

The camel spoke to no one, but continued climbing beside the others, as though it had been drifting for centuries without a destination. Together, the five climbed the mountain.

 

Part 4

At the summit, they stopped.

From above, they saw the stars spread across the sky, steady and distant.

They saw the ocean far away, dark and endless.

They saw the mountain beneath them, ancient and silent.

Fengbo tied the wind back into his bag.

The oceanographer looked toward the sea.

The alien and the three-humped camel gazed at the stars.

Shen Nong stood quietly among them...

 

Part 5

Shen Nong awoke on the mountain path.

The forest was still.

The strange grass lay nearby.

He rose slowly and continued his journey, carrying the memory of the dream with him.

From that day on, he tasted the herbs of the world with greater care.

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Duration: 15 minutes

 

Recording: A recording of its Beacon Ensemble premiere is available upon request.

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Score and Parts: Available for rental or purchase directly from the composer.

Performance History: World Premiere: Beacon Music Festival by Beacon Ensemble, June 7, 2026 at Church of the Covenant, Boston, MA.