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Theme
Musical Work

Jongmyo Jeryeak (Confucian Royal Ancestral Ritual Music)

Chant and Ceremonial Repertoire

The ritual music accompanying the Confucian rite performed at the Jongmyo Shrine in Seoul, honouring the deceased kings and queens of the Joseon dynasty. UNESCO's own record for the site and its music names the rite Confucian outright, and the City of Seoul's own record credits the music's composition to King Sejong, adopted for ceremonial use under King Sejo, performed on gongs, bells, lutes, zithers and flutes alongside the sung Jongmyo Akjang and two formal dances by sixty four performers. The rite is held once a year and its structure has remained largely unchanged since the fifteenth century.

Facts
Production
Place of Origin
Jongmyo Shrine, Seoul, Korea 1
Format
Composition 1
Subject Matter
Religious Subject Matter
The Confucian ancestral rite at Jongmyo Shrine: both institutions' own records name the ritual Confucian outright. 1
Connections

Associated With

This source names Joseon directly: "the deceased kings and queens of the Joseon dynasty."

Source UNESCO ICH and City of Seoul Records for Jongmyo Jeryeak

Belongs to Tradition

Both UNESCO's own Intangible Cultural Heritage record and the City of Seoul's own tourism record name the Jongmyo rite this music accompanies as Confucian outright, making this the first musical work the atlas holds for the tradition.

Source UNESCO ICH and City of Seoul Records for Jongmyo Jeryeak
Sources
1. UNESCO ICH and City of Seoul Records for Jongmyo Jeryeak
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists; City of Seoul (english.visitseoul.net)ich.unesco.org RL/00016; english.visitseoul.net /events/jongmyo-royal-ancestral-ritual-and-royal-procession_/813View the Source

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