The voices are as clear as light bouncing off a still pond, with nothing for miles to hinder them or create an echo. It’s hard to imagine that such beautiful voices would have never been heard by anyone but their owners, the grasslands, sun, moon and stars. These young boys and girls are all from small farming families on the plains of Inner Mongolia, which they have never left, as if they were a part of the plains themselves. Their voices, like gold, or silk, fill the air as the cattle graze, and disappear when the blanket of night is drawn. Until in 2008, a chorus of these young singers was founded; which brought their naturally beautiful voices to the world, so that everyone could experience and enjoy their talent.

    The image of swan geese in flight is the essence of life on the plains, and since ancient times has been written through the hands of countless travelling poets to evoke a sense of a never-ending journey. Mr. Ye Yunchuan, producer of Rhymoi Music, chose “Swan Geese” as the name for this compilation, who together with live recording artist Li Dakang, brings to you the melody of these young vocalists, are much like these wild migrating birds, departing from the familiar depths of the grasslands for the first time. The chorus brings you the songs that they grew up with, which are just as much a part of them as they are a part of the plains, so that you may catch a glimpse at what their distant world beholds.

    This album collects several pieces performed by a chorus consisting of young Mongols, showcasing the extent of these singers’ talent, while evoking visions of the vast prairies of their homeland, as well as the traditional lifestyle and rich culture of the Mongol people. The song, Praying for Rain, begins like thunder over the grasslands, the voices of the children bearing surprisingly great tumult, accompanied by the jingling rhythm of a tambourine. Ode to the Eight Steeds and Shepherd’s Song then show us the singers’ shepherding lifestyle on the plains, while A Great Gathering of Birds reveals their skill in the unique art of singing techniques, as they use their own voices to mimic those of the many birds that can be heard in the skies of their homeland. The Dance of Oirad was originally an excerpt from a local epic poem, but expressed through the voices of these young boys and girls, takes on a much livelier tone.

    Aside from these native Mongol songs, this album also includes vocal performances of several songs from the rest of China and the rest of the world, featuring additional guest vocalists. Among these are the melodious Chinese classic The Half Moon Rises, the pleasantly somber Selling Peanuts, the heart-warming My Lovely Hometown, which are presented by these young singers in a way that you most certainly have never heard.

    These natural voices need only the simplest of musical accompaniment. The rumbling drums form the main rhythm, resounding like rolling thunder. Bells appear to accentuate emotion and build tension. Light strings flutter like streams trickling down the mountainside. And the Morin Khuur bids the listener to where there is nothing but grass below and clouds above, stretching on forever. From above comes the song of the swan geese, as they soar across the verdant highlands, then land upon the grass to settle in for the night. These simple yet beautiful sounds are what the vocalists on this album have grown up hearing, and what they have sung along with.