To tell the history of Taiwan chorus is to begin with the composer and arranger Lu Chuan-sheng. When he passed away recently in the United States, he left a legacy of as many as 200 compositions. Some of these songs have long made it to the classic choral repertoire brought by choral groups not just around the island but also all over the world to warm the hearts of listeners.

The infamous February 28 incident in 1947 had divisive consequences on the population. The rather concerned Lu sought to diffuse the tensions brought on by regional ethnic differences. His suggestion was for everyone to gather and drink together. “Don’t Raise Fish at the Bottom of the Cup” was written in 1949 and Lu personally sang this drinking song during its premiere performance.

When his own child was only three months old, Lu as a loving parent composed “Rocking the Baby Song.” This lullaby describes a parent, watching the little one “grow an inch each night.”

Together with Wang Chang-hsiung, a doctor, he came up with the song “Open the Window of the Heart” to comfort those who must leave their hometowns to make a living in a strange land.

Generations in Taiwan love to sing the Taiwanese lyrics or hum with great familiarity the tune of a lilting song about an Yilan train going through a tunnel while the water goes dripping on it to create a rhythmic melody. Lu arranged the well-loved, rather playful Taiwanese song titled “Tiu Tiu Tang.”

Lu earned in his lifetime the undisputed recognition as the “father of Taiwan chorus.” Somehow when the focus turns to his music output, “Tiu Tiu Tang” is one song very likely to be mentioned. 

Lu Chuan-sheng was born the third child to a couple from Shenkang Township, Taichung County, in 1916. His Protestant parents took him to church regularly, encouraging him to join the singing of Psalms and fanning his early interest in music.

When he was seven, he attended the Anli Primary School. He entered Taichung First High School in 1929 and began taking piano lessons with Chen Hsin-chen as his teacher in 1933.

During a trip to Tokyo, Lu had the occasion to attend a concert. The performance deeply moved him, making him decide to pursue a career in music. Upon his graduation from high school in 1935, he left for Japan to continue his education there. His parents wanted him to take up medicine or law. But Lu chose to major in piano at the music conservatory called Toyo Ongaku..

An accidental hand injury, however, shattered Lu’s dream of becoming a great pianist. He shifted to voice for his major and composition theory for his minor. As a music student, he was greatly influenced by his classes in choral music.

Lu became a singer of the Matsutake Drama Society in 1939, passed auditions to become a member of the Olympic Games Chorus in 1939, and proved his vocalizing prowess to the screening panel for the NHK Chorus in 1940. After completing his education, he joined the Toho Engei Kabushiki Kaisha, taking major singing roles.

Not long after the completion of his studies overseas, however, Lu returned to Taiwan in 1943. Back in his homeland, he felt saddened by the general lack of interest in Taiwanese folk songs. Thus, he embarked on gathering and compiling songs like “The Field Water in June,” “Tiu Tiu Tang,” “A Chirping Bird,” “A Happy Gathering,” and “Song from the Shao Tribe,” among others. He rearranged them for the chorus and produced tapes to send to Japan. The rearranged songs gained popularity not only in Taiwan but also in the ethnic Chinese music world.

In 1952, Lu began to edit the monthly publication called “Selected Folk Songs.” A total of 99 issues were published until 1960. The monthly was the best vehicle for introducing and promoting native songs as well as translated popular songs from around the world. When providing inputs, Lu used different pseudonyms. This was his way of covering up the lack of contributions from outsiders.

Lu also found time to compile 101 songs from around the world and this series eventually was used as educational material in schools.

Lu Chuan-sheng began conducting Taiwan’s first children’s chorus, the Rong Shing Chorus, and, in fact, eventually fanned the children’s chorus fever around the island..

Lu founded the Rong Shing Chorus with Koo Wei-fu in 1957. This move was made just three months after Koo shared with him a beautiful recording of a children’s choral group from Austria. Both believed that “educating children through music was the most effective way to bring up the level of a country’s culture.” The present site of the Idee shopping center on Nanjing West Road in Taipei was where the chorus rehearsed for seven years. Then it moved to Tamshui.

After only a year of training and practice with Lu, the chorus was ready for a debut at the auditorium at the National Taiwan University. The chorus sang in more recent years at the Chieh Shou Hall inside the Presidential Building as well as at the National Concert Hall in Taipei.

Young singers who trained under Lu were mostly intimidated by their teacher’s strictness. Lu himself said that he was trying to be a protective “mother hen” to his students. The truth was: he wanted to be close to the boys and girls as he nurtured them to develop into a chorus regarded as “the pride of Taiwan and a treasure to the musical world.”

In his twilight years, Lu moved to the United States. He stayed in touch with the Rong Shing Chorus and they with him. He even wrote one of his former students, surprising and touching him with his fond remembrance of what they did meaningfully together. Last year, he even flew home to be with his friends and students again.

Lu Chuan-sheng passed away in the United States last March 17 but generations in Taiwan long after will most likely be still learning some of his songs to perform in concerts.