CREATIVE DOCTORAL RESEARCH IN MUSIC: CHAIWATTHANARAM SUITE

Abstract

This qualitative research aims to study the historical background of Chaiwatthanaram Temple in order to compose a piece of Thai music, “The Chaiwatthanaram Suite”.

          The author discovered that King Prasat Thong established Chaiwatthanaram Temple as a royal charity for his mother based on The Buddha’s Story. The Chams and the Chinese communities in the neighboring area were considered the inspiration for the music composition including 5 major songs and 6 different minor songs. The principle of Montri Tramote in naming the songs after the reminiscence of important events was adopted as follows: 1)“Chaiwatthanaram Buchit” with extended pillar tones of the original melodies; 2)“Mitr Watthana” which consisted of 4 minor songs: “Puang Xiang Baan Chin” with decorative indigenous dialect melody, “Yak Yueang Luk Tok”, without moving the notes down (maybe before or after for notes down) and syncopation, “Talat Ngiw” with decorative indigenous rhythmic patterns and syncopation, “Khaek Cham” performed with a novel prologue cover derived from automatic melody construction, and “Pratha Khu Cham” with decorative dialect indigenous melody; 3) “Buddha Silapa” including 2 minor songs: “Phaka Phrom” with extended pillar tones and independent decorative musical patterns and “Phra That” with a decorative melody in a form of Sakkawa Poetry; 4) “Bodin Prasat Thong” with an autonomous, up-beating rhythmic pattern extending the pillar tones; and 5) “Rueang Rong Watthanaram” with extended pillar tones, decorative Sepa (Thai-verse) rhythmic patterns and a solo section. Consequently, the Chaiwatthanaram Suite was creatively composed to reflect the prosperity of Chaiwatthanaram Temple as well as to be used as a medium to publicize Phra Nakhon Sri Ayutthaya Province.