Quan ho singing in Bac Ninh is a folk art of a highly collective nature. Those people who sing are not entertainers, but all are part of the performance and anyone is welcome to join.

In the provinces of Bac Ninh and Bac Giang in northern Viet Nam, several of the villages are twinned, reinforcing their relationship through social customs such as Quan họ Bac Ninh folk songs. The songs are performed as alternating verses between 2 women from one village who sing in harmony and 2 men from another village who respond with similar melodies, however with completely different lyrics. The women historically wear distinctive giant spherical hats and scarves; the men’s costumes embrace turbans, umbrellas and tunics. The over four hundred song lyrics, sung with 213 completely different melody variations, express each person’s emotional states of longing and disappointment upon separation, and also the happiness of the meeting of lovers, a part from custom forbids marrying a singing partner. Quan họ singing is common at rituals, festivals, competitions and informal gatherings, where guests can perform a range of verses for his or her hosts before singing farewell.

Younger musicians of each sex could apply the four singing techniques – restrained, resonant, ringing and staccato – at parties organized around singing. Quan họ songs express the spirit, philosophy and native identity of the communities during this region, and facilitate forge social bonds inside and between villages that share a cherished cultural apply.

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