A familiar sound, like a lingering fragrance of incense,

Comes to us, through the fog of many years; a promise nearly forgotten…

A memory of a rose, blooming in the fading light of day.

Our heart is rapt in a vividly colorful dream,

And we are swept up in the passage of time.

Silk strings and a horsehair bow - an ancient and universal legacy.

Like passing phantoms - sometimes faded and sometimes clearly visible.

Today, our lives seem so forced and hurried - we have forgotten how to dream, how to listen to our own hearts, how to see the beauty in the world around us.

Descended from noble ancestors - the Tang Dynasty's Xiqin (奚琴) and the Song Dynasty's Jiqin (嵇琴) - the modern Erhu is the sound of China's heartstrings. For nearly a millennium, the Erhu's song has expressed the joys, sorrows, hopes and dreams of the Chinese people, from a moonlit scene of an ancient pond, and the cascades of a majestic mountain waterfall, to the excitement of a horse race, the Erhu's silk strings have delighted the hearts of Chinese with song for generations. Now, for the first time, the Erhu goes to the movies as the featured instrument on this new special recording from Rhymoi Music.

The Erhu is particularly well suited for this type of program; no other instrument speaks with such a profound depth of emotion. The distinctive tone quality of the Erhu most resembles the human voice - its delicate melodies can touch the heart or bring people to their feet in dance. This special album features highlights from some of China’s most beautiful film songs of the past 80 years: from "Song of the Fisherman" from 1934, to the optimistic closing theme from "The Cranes are Flying," the wistful melancholy of "Bury My Heart," the folk-like simplicity of "Night on the Grassland," the unrestrained joy of "Song of the Washer Girl," the intimacy of "In the Mood for Love," the heartfelt "Snow Lotus on the Iceberg" and the child-like innocence of "Little Swallow"....

This is truly a breakthrough album, redefining the Erhu as a solo instrument. Here, she sings as the featured soloist in a musical concept inspired by classical music. In the past，when the Erhu has been featured as a solo instrument, it was in the context of folk music, or clever novelties; here, she is joined by an orchestra of 24 strings and other western instruments - her unique tonality standing out and beautifying each special arrangement.

In "Everlasting Friendship" the full string orchestra joins, creating a beautiful effect; the exotic colors of "Snow Lotus on the Iceberg" are heightened through the addition of the tambourine; a flute and violin join with the soulful sound of the Erhu in "Bury My Heart" while the lively sound of traditional Chinese instruments and native percussion join the strings in "Song of the Washer Girl," while the "Children's Film Suite" combines three popular melodies ("The Parting", "Little Swallow", "A Red Star Shines Over Me") with naive charm. 

Once again, China's internationally celebrated sound engineer, Li Xiaopei has joined the Rhymoi Music Production team in Asia's largest and most modern recording studio, the 480 square meter CCTV soundstage, to lovingly capture every detail and nuance with state-of-the-art post production mastering by Stockfisch Studios (Germany).

Our memories are like a rose whose bloom has faded or the flickering images on a movie screen...

We close our eyes, and greedily draw upon countless recollections...

The wind whispers to us a fragment of a melody to keep us company on our journey through life.