“Phleng Ruang is the genre of Thai traditional music which revered music masters in the past have strung together. It is one of the most treasured genres of Thai musicians, and an invaluable heritage passed on for generations of mentors. To compare with archeology, Phleng Ruang is the most valuable artifact that is best kept in music households.
Dr. Sirichaicharn Fakchumroon, National Artist and Artist of Chulalongkorn University
Written in Wai Kru Ceremony 2019 Bulletin
Chulalongkorn University responded to the royal initiation of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn into documenting and recording phleng ruang, a Thai traditional musical genre and a form of body of knowledge, of which the extensive number of musical suites serve as models of idioms and melodies used in compositions and performances. Phleng ruang is passed on through generations of music masters via an oral tradition. This initiative is a diligent effort to document and record music of the genre to preserve this invaluable Thai musical heritage against loss or inaccurate transmission, which has inevitably started to happen as a nature of oral tradition and with passing of the old masters.
Documenting phleng ruang is carried out by audio-visual recording and notating with both Thai and Western notation systems. Biography of recording musicians, history of each piece of music, and modes of transmission are also documented in a digital archive, which is currently the most sustainable and effective means for future reference and retrieval. The media complied in this project will be circulated to music households acting as centers for Thai traditional music education, music libraries, institutions, and other organizations to use as a root for further development of authentic Thai music.
This royal initiative receives cooperation from major organizations and Thai traditional music households: Department of Art under the Ministry of Culture, Royal Thai Army, Navy, Airforce and Police Music Divisions, The Government Public Relations Department, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, Baan Parttayakosol, and Luang Pradit Phairoh Foundation, along with many Thai traditional music scholars and masters. Office of Art and Culture is the core of the project sponsoring, coordinating, and proceeding with all forms of documenting. HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn provides a close supervision and personally presides over project meetings.
The first phase of the initiative had been implemented between April to September 2019, and the second, November 2019 to September 2020. In each phase, each of the aforementioned nine organizations and two music households recorded two phleng ruang suites, yielding 22 pieces of suites. As of the end of the second phase, Office of Art and Culture has recorded 44 pieces of phleng ruang suites.
The continuation of the initiative into the third phase has become under suspension due to the widespread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Students and the public with an interest on phleng ruang can search and retrieve information at Chulalongkorn University Thai Music Library, Art and Culture Building, third floor on the weekdays 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. The library can be reached at tel. +66 2218-3633 or https://www.facebook.com/ChulaThaiMusicLibrary.
