Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, has presided over the opening of the 44th Thai Higher Education Music Festival
At 9:27 a.m. on Monday (Oct 28), Her Royal Highness proceeded to the Art and Cultural Center at Silpakorn University in Muang Nakhon Pathom district, Nakhon Pathom province, to preside over the opening of the 44th Thai Music and Performing Arts Festival. The event, hosted by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation and Silpakorn University, was held to mark the 75th anniversary of Silpakorn University and to promote the value of traditional Thai music to young Thais. At the festival, students from different institutions performed traditional Thai music to the international audience.
On this occasion, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn played a traditional wooden xylophone and performed a song titled “Homrong Pathom Dusit”. The song was composed in 1919 by Sorn Silpabanleng, a famous musician commonly known by his title as Luang Pradit Pairoh.
Her Royal Highness also played a treble fiddle and performed songs titled “Chuen Chum Num Krum Don Tri” and “Thai Damnern Doi”. National artist and a master of Thai classical music, Montri Tramote, composed “Chuen Chum Num Krum Don Tri”, while the lyrics to “Thai Damnern Doi” are about His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great’s visits to mountainous areas.
Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn then delivered a speech to Thai music teachers and students and gave them moral support. The Princess told them to help preserve traditional Thai music.
Her Royal Highness then watched a a group of students perform “Khmer Sai Yok”, a song composed by His Royal Highness Prince Narisara Nuvadtivongs in 1888. “Khmer Sai Yok” was inspired by a song titled “Khmer Lullaby”.
The Thai Higher Education Music Festival was first held at Kasetsart University in 1966. Universities across Thailand take turns in hosting this annual event. This year, the festival was attended by 89 public and private educational institutions.
