Her Royal Highness Princess Srinagarindra Boromarajajonani, also known in a term of endearment by the Thai people as the Royal Grandmother, was very actively promoting education, agriculture, religions, medicine, and public health for the benefit of the country throughout her life as Princess Mother of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) posthumously honored her, on October 21, 2020, her 100th birthday, as a “great personality in public service in the fields of education, applied science, and human, social, and environmental development”
As the year 2020 saw the 120th year of the birth of the Princess Srinagarindra, Chulalongkorn University, in collaboration with HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Foundation, organized a concert in the honor of Princess Srinagarindra on the foundation day, November 1, 2020, in which Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn wrote a poem titled The Royal Grandmother’s Conquer of Doi Inthanon, to be used as lyrics for a musical setting with choreography of the same name, and performed by Sai Yai Chamchuri Thai Ensemble comprising Chulalongkorn University alumni, faculty members and staff.
The contemporary Thai music and dance, The Royal Grandmother’s Conquer of Doi Inthanon, tells a story of what The Royal Grandmother encountered on her hike from Doi Pha Mon (5,262 feet in elevation) to Doi Inthanon, the highest mountain in Thailand (8,415 feet in elevation), when she was 64 years old, which is a proof of her determination and strong wills. The royal composition is poetry crafted with exquisite rhymes depicting the nature and wild beasts along the hike, and ethnic groups that greeted the Royal Grandmother. With the perfect blend of music set by Sirichaicharn Fakchumroon, National Artist in Thai Classical Music (2014), and the choreography by Professor Dr. Surapone Virulrak, President of Royal Society, the work, The Royal Grandmother’s Conquer of Doi Inthanon, has become known as a fine piece of both visual and auditory arts.
The instrumentation used in the work is also worth-mentioning for its innovative use of Thai traditional, Northern folk, and big band ensembles. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn also performed on Ranad-Ek, a Thai xylophone, in the Thai traditional ensemble. The Thai traditional and Northern folk musicians dressed in Northern-styled costume. The concert performance also incorporated dance, visual presentation, rendering a new body of knowledge in amalgamation of musical ensembles and their music of different styles and tuning systems, dance, and other visual presentations into one balanced performance.
The performance took place at Chulalongkorn University Auditorium with audience and musicians adorning face-coverings, observing physical distancing and other Covid-19 risk mitigation measures. It was broadcasted on a public television channel and online through https://www.facebook.com/ThaiPBS/videos/397070461490216 and https://youtu.be/UwcuxcLTdqI by Thai Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS), recording over 30,000 viewers.
Not only that the performance has created a new body of knowledge in music and contemporary Thai dance and widely disseminated art and cultural works, but Chulalongkorn University and HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Foundation were also able to raise over 15 million baht (US$500,000) in donation for the Foundation’s work in the area of public health, which is one of its many other mission areas, including promoting education, religions, and construction and maintenance of hospitals.
