Nguyen Van Dua (L) teaches the violin to children in the farming village of Then in Bac Giang Province

Classical strains wafting in the air make Then a village like no other.

At first glance, Then in Lang Giang Commune, about 70 kilometers from Hanoi, is just like any other village in northern Vietnam.

What makes it different is the melodious violin sound drifting in the still air.

It is commonly thought that the violin must be played in classical auditoriums and that the music it creates is mainly appreciated by highbrow audiences.

Nothing could be further from the truth. In Then, music from the West and Vietnamese folk songs blend harmoniously with the croaking of frogs and the buzzing of cicadas.

Farmers have to set aside time to practice the violin and spend a fortune to buy the instrument, but they are undaunted and practice eagerly.

“When we are down, we play the violin to relieve stress and tiredness. We give our best both at work and music. When we play, we set aside all our worries and focus only on the music,” says Nguyen Quang Khoa, principal of Then’s impressive violin ensemble.

Khoa, who works on the farm and also makes joss paper to sell, shows off his violin with a sheen that only comes from many years of use.

In Then, he says, there are nearly a hundred violins and several hundred older villagers who can play the instrument well (not to mention the many children who have taken it up).

“Most of them are hard-working farmers who play the violin in their leisure time.”

Khoa takes his violin and delivers a skillful rendition of Lang toi (My village) by the late composer Van Cao, who wrote Vietnam’s national anthem.

He and his daughter then perform “Speak Softly Love” by Italian composer Nino Rota. “Speak Softly Love” is in the score of the 1972 film “The Godfather,” the first of the famous trilogy by Francis Ford Coppola.

According to veteran violinist Nguyen Van Dua, who is one of the best players in Then though he has never had professional training, the villagers’ love of music goes back a long way.

A Bat am (octet), which played traditional musical instruments and was formed by Ha Van Lo, was popular in the region from 1935-1945 and sparked a keen interest in music among the people of Then.

During the ultimately successful struggle against the French colonialists from 1946-1954, the music lovers braved patrols by French soldiers to perform patriotic songs such as Du kich ca (Guerillas’ song) and Chien si Viet Nam (Soldiers of Vietnam).

When the war ended, they began several musical movements with the help of outside musicians.

A decade later, in 1955, two locals bought violins and invited musician Do Bai, who was working for the provincial cultural bureau, to be their instructor.

The two soon became a dozen, each of them paying what a buffalo costs today to buy a violin.

Dua was one of them. They were avid learners and could soon play the instrument beautifully.

Then’s nine-strong violin ensemble has won major prizes in many competitions and performed in musical movements and events.

“I inject strong feelings every time I play. I also try to add some Vietnamese traits even though the violin originated in the West,” says Dua, who is now in his seventies.

Dua, whose 10 children and grandchildren also play the violin, has been giving free lessons to farmers and their offspring for 40 years.

In that time he has trained hundreds of budding violinists, many of whom are studying at the Hanoi Music Conservatory while some are music lecturers.

One of Dua’s first and best students was Ha Quoc Minh, who is now deputy director of the Central Cheo Theater (cheo is a traditional opera in the north).

His grandchildren, from second to twelfth graders, have formed their own ensemble and perform all over the place to resounding applause and cries of amazement.

Farmers here have their hands full with crops and cattle to tend, yet they manage to find plenty of time for their pet hobby.

“We practice the violin when we are herding the cattle, or taking a rest after a day’s work. If you have a girlfriend, no matter how busy you are, you always fix it so that you can meet her at least twice a week,” says Dua.

“If we have a passion, we can always make time for it.”

Reported by Thai Uyen - Song Son