HÀ NỘI — One of the most famous Vietnamese romantic songs, Tình Em (My Love), by late composer Huy Du will be performed at a concert held in Hà Nội to commemorate his 10th death anniversary this Friday. 

The concert, organised by the Việt Nam Youth Theatre and QPVN military television, will take middle-aged music lovers on a trip down memory lane, enjoying both romantic and patriotic songs popular during war time.

Huy Du read a poem by an armyman, named Hồ Ngọc Sơn, in the Literature and Arts magazine. The poem was writen when the northern soldier was fighting in the Gia Lai battle in the Central Highlands and received a letter from his wife after a long time. 

As an armyman himself, Huy Du empathised deeply with the plight of the soldier and set the poem to music in 1962 without using musical notes and adjusting the lyrics. Incidentally, Tình Em was the original title of the poem.

After People’s Artist Quý Dương performed the song for the first time, it became a favourite for many generations. But it was not performed as regularly as other songs by the composer, because love-themed songs were not promoted much while the nation fought for liberation of the South and reunification of the country.

Born in Bắc Ninh Province, Huy Du went to Hà Nội with his father when he was small. He began to study music and violin. He and his friends established a music band playing at the city’s Old Quater.

During the first Indochina War, he joined the Viet Nam People’s Army and headed Army Division 320’s Art Troupe. After the war studied at the Beijing Conservatory of Music from 1956 to 1962, and later worked with the General Political Department’s Art Troupe until 1977.

Du wrote and composed about 400 musical works that have contributed to revive the glorious history of the nation. He was honoured with many prizes including the State’s Independence Order and the Hồ Chí Minh Award for Literature and Arts.

At the concert on December 15, the songs will be accompanied by a modern orchestra and performed by popular singers and music bands.

People’s Artist Lê Khanh will be the MC, telling stories and highlighting milestones to help the audience achieve a deeper understanding of the composer’s life and career.

"I will try to lead the audience to get more in touch with the composer’s soul," Khanh said.

"The audience will not enjoy the songs but also know more about stories and memories of the composer when he wrote them."

The composer’s son, pianist Nguyễn Huy Phương, will play a piece which was written for his mother. The concert will begin at 8pm on Friday,  at the Việt Nam Youth Theatre, 11 Ngô Thì Nhậm Street, Ha Noi. — VNS