Xoan singing or Hat xoan (Vietnamese for "spring singing") is a type of Vietnamese folk music that is performed during the lunar new year in Phu Tho Province.
It includes acting, ceremony, chant, drumming, dancing, and singing, and is centered around themes of romance, riddles, work, etc. Traditionally, the songs were performed in temples, shrines, and communal homes. They are led by a trùm, and consist of male instrumentalists and female singers.
A Xoan song has three types: honoring Hung kings and village guardian spirits; wishing for good crops, health, and luck; and alternating male and female voices in a courtship song. It has a sparse texture, perfect fourths, and drums and clappers are used.
As a performing art, Xoan singing first appeared during the time Hung Kings to foster cultural understanding, community cohesion, and mutual respect. Leaders and senior Xoan artists taught their songs orally and through audio and visual recordings.
In modern times, experienced artists teach their songs to members of clubs and music teachers in schools, who then pass the knowledge on to more club members and students. A guild could consist of ten to fifteen performers, but there are fewer remaining, increasingly ageing guilds and teachers of this largely oral tradition.
They preserve the songs, select the students, transmit singing styles and repertoires, and organize practices. The Vietnamese Institute for Musicology has collected 31 Xoan songs, and thanks to the efforts of many Xoan artists, four guilds have been established. There are also 33 dedicated clubs, and seminars to expand the knowledge of Xoan.
With the establishment of the Xoan singing club in 1998, together with the village of An Thái and Kim Duc communes, Phuong Lâu commune brought the old style of singing to new life. In the days of the older generation of folk artists, they always tried their best to pass on to offspring the compositions in the old style of singing in the activities of the Club.
Kim Duc commune held a festival Xoan singing competition last August 18th to raise the passion and pride of its villagers in their locality's special art. The concern of authorities and villagers' enthusiastic contribution make Xoan singing viable in modern-day life.