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HUNG-PING
CHANG
THANK YOU MTA
THANK YOU FROM TAIWAN
SYNOPSIS
“Thank you MTA, Thank you from Taiwan” was the opening song performed at the 2016 Appreciation Gala in dedication to New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority(MTA): “Embarking on the journey - Fulfilling the Dream”, produced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in New York in collaboration with TWNY Music Guild.
In 2016, Taipei Metro System received warm congratulations from the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) for the twentieth year in the service of the Taipei Metro System in Taipei. Therefore, in the same season, TECO arranged an exquisite concert night to show appreciation from Taiwan to MTA. The concert “Embarking on the journey - Fulfilling the Dream” was held on the first floor of TECO building in New York, presenting a variety of music programs, from a cappella to classical music repertoire.
Hung Ping Chang was specially commissioned to write an original opening song “Thank you MTA, Thank you from Taiwan” for this special event and performed as the conductor for this commissioned opening song as well. The song blended the Taiwanese aboriginal language and music, Taiwanese folk song, and the Broadway musical colors, conveying Taiwanese people and immigrant voices and appreciation to MTA. The ambassador of Taiwan, Li-Wen Hsu, the vice president of TECO, Feng-Yu, Chen, the President of MTA New York City Transit, Veronique Hakim, the Chief of operations planning office of the executive vice president, Peter G, Cafiero, the MTA Spokesman, Aaron Donovan and other representatives of MTA all attended the event. The original opening song by Hung-Ping Chang and the concert both garnered positive reviews from numerous leading media.
After the performance of "Thank you MTA, Thank you from Taiwan"
THANK YOU MTA
THANK YOU FROM TAIWAN
OPENING SONG
Commissioned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO)
2016 Appreciation Gala in dedication to New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority(MTA)
June 10, 2016
Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in New York, NY
INSTRUMENTATION
Soprano, Tenor, Piano, Erhu, Viola, Cello, Percussion
DURATION
7 Minutes and 11 Seconds
Artists
Composer/Conductor | Hung-Ping Chang
Soprano | Claire Wang
Tenor | Roger Yeh
Piano | Joy Wang
Erhu, Viola | Andy Lin
Cello | Amber Ho
Percussion | Meng Hsuan Lin
LIVE RECORDING
PROGRAM NOTES
I am very honored to be a composer for this special Gala, themed “Thank you MTA Concert. 2016 marks the twentieth year in the service of the Taipei Metro System in Taipei, Taiwan’s capital. It was a pleasure and an honor for Taipei Metro System to have received warm congratulations from the New York MTA.
Today in New York, subway, buses and trains are inseparable and essential in our life. Further more, each diligently working MTA staff member is a great hero. I deeply appreciate this opportunity for me to compose a work to thank MTA. I have read the history of MTA and have got to know the many moving details of MTA that are often missed out in daily life.
MTA is the world's oldest public transit system. Over five million people take the MTA daily; the fact that the subway runs non-stop for 24 hours each day contributes to New Yorkers’ happiness, and those working for MTA are the contributors. We often only focus on delays or line changes due to construction, and naturally fall into complaints and impatience. However, without these daily constructions and fixes, even one tiniest mistake could harm the safety of those living in New York.
MTA brings us traffic convenience. We work, go home, attend interviews or auditions, visit every place we have ever dreamt of in New York; for generations of Taiwanese we strive in New York, and MTA leads the way to our dreams and destinations in this process!
These thoughts and history move me, allowing me to obtain a unique sense of strength and inspiration. Therefore, I naturally thought about using the most beautiful language and music of Taiwan as composing materials to thank MTA.
The piece starts with the Taiwanese aboriginals’ language, followed by a famous Taiwanese folk song “Diu Diu Dan a”(An Old Train). This folk song, which depicts Taiwanese trains traveling back and forth, appreciates the trains. I used, arranged and composed around this folk song to also depict the travel for Taiwanese to USA from Taiwan, where the trip starts with Taiwanese trains and runs all the way across the ocean to New York, motivated by works and dreams. Dreams and Hope are what fill our hearts and minds when we arrive in New York. I wrote the lyrics as well as music filled with strength and Taiwanese voices to express my feelings over the past two years in New York and my thanks to MTA!
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LYRICS
THANK YOU MTA,
THANK YOU FROM TAIWAN
Lyrics| Hung-Ping Chang, Janet Noh
Aboriginal lyrics| Joy Wang, Hung-Ping Chang
Yi la Oh, oh ho yan, (Sing)
Yi la da se na-i, Yo Oh Yan, (The faraway land)
ta ka re de de le mwa ka vai Yi la, ( I travel)
Yi yo yin ho yan! (Sing)
Yi la oh, wu wa la yi yi yo oh hei, ( I will miss my hometown)
hei hei hei ya yi a oh hai ya! (I'm going to travel far away)
Wu wa la yi yo yi yo hei, yi ye yi yan,
oh ho hai ya! (I will miss)
Ya ho, yi ye yi yan oh hai yan! (Miss, and Sing)
火車行到伊都阿莫伊都丟哎喲磅砊內
(The train is traveling through the tunnel)
磅砊的水伊都丟丟銅仔伊都阿莫伊都丟仔伊都滴落來
(As the train pass by, the water in the tunnel drips)
Train! Train! Train!
Crossing the cities and the memories!
Train! Train! Train! Train cross by Yi Ya Hei!
Run! Run! Run! Hei!
Crossing the mountain Hei,
over the river Hei,
Hei, through the grand plain E YA Hei;
Dance with the stars and moon, Hei,
Tell the history and the story Yi Ya Ho Hei!
Train! Train! Train!
丟丟銅仔伊都阿莫伊都丟仔伊都滴落來
(The train is traveling through the tunnel)
Yes! The train running from the sunrise
til the sunset
without stopping, keep on moving,
Train! Cross the city and memory,
A new journey!
Yes! Time flies! Think high, fly high, dream high,
Yes! Here is New York! Yes! The center of the world!
American dream! Hei!
Traffic! Hurry! Traffic! Hei!
Work, study, live (in New York City),
we take the bus, train, subway everyday,
Twenty-four hours’ service,
yes it’s the only one in history!
Over four hundred sixty-nine stations,
more than six thousand four hundred trains.
It’s crossed over eight hundred forty-two miles,
since eighteen sixty-three,
it is the oldest public transportation!
And more than five million passengers,
take the MTA everyday,
Yes, the MTA runs day by day year by year,
so whether there’s heavy rain or snow have no fear,
to Long island, New Jersey,
to the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn!
We want to say thank you MTA,
you take us everywhere,
so no matter how far my dream,
I know that I’ll get there!
We want to say thank you MTA,
you bring us a whole new page,
So from the bottom of our hopeful hearts,
we say Thank You MTA!
Sometimes we forget that,
there are people behind the machine,
though you may not notice,
there’s a story to every scene.
Every construction, every checking;
every fixing is to make sure people’s safety,
Yes, we may not know their names,
they don’t work while seeking fame,
They are heroes who are never seen.
After two thousand twelve’s, Sandy attack,
in one week they revived new tracks;
After the nine one one scare, New York cried,
they recovered tracks saved people’s smile!
And the subway not just the subway,
it’s where people make new friends, dance, and sing!
Yes, the subway’s not just the subway,
it leads us to our dream!
Music! Finance! Engineering, in the train,
we work study hard every minutes!
Law! Fashion! (every opportunity) Medical study,
The trains help us pursue our dream!
They (the trains) lead us to the American dream!
We want to say thank you MTA,
you take us everywhere,
So no matter how far my dream,
I know that I’ll get there!
We want to say thank you MTA,
you bring us a whole new page,
So from the bottom of our hopeful hearts,
we say Thank you from Taiwan,
We want to thank you from Taiwan!
That we’ll share with you/
we’ll share our thanks from Taiwan!
For every subway, bus and train,
gotta say, have to say, we must say,
Thank you MTA!