Sori: the Seongdeok Bell in concert at the National Museum of Korea — 31 Oct & 1 Nov

A concert built around the Divine Bell of King Seongdeok, the bronze temple bell finished in 771 and now a national treasure, comes to Theater Yong at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul. Staged by the National Museum Foundation of Korea, Sori ("sound") starts from a simple idea: to treat an object people usually look at through glass as something to listen to. According to the foundation's press release of 14 September, the evening is split into three parts — how the bell was cast, how it sounds, and the hopes inscribed on it — told through music, film and stagecraft.

How is the concert put together?

Each of the three parts takes a number as its title: √2, standing for the bell's proportions; 64Hz, for its low, long hum; and 771, the year it was completed. A different performer leads each part.

The saenghwang is a mouth organ of bamboo pipes bundled together; it sounds on both the in-breath and the out-breath, so it can hold a chord for a very long time. The yanggeum is a hammered dulcimer with metal strings, and rings with a bright, metallic decay. Moving from breath to struck metal and then to the human voice, the running order follows the way a bell's sound is made. Seodo Band, who close the show, are known for what they call "Joseon pop": Korean traditional vocal style over a pop band.

What is the Divine Bell of King Seongdeok?

King Gyeongdeok of Unified Silla began it in honour of his father, King Seongdeok; it was finished under his son, King Hyegong, in 771. It was designated a national treasure in 1962 and now hangs in an open pavilion in the grounds of the Gyeongju National Museum. It is the largest bell surviving in Korea, and its body carries a long inscription recording how it was made.

• Other names: it is also called the Bongdeoksa Bell, after the temple where it first hung, and the Emille Bell, after a legend that a child was cast into the metal. That story is folklore, not recorded fact.
• Its moves: from Bongdeoksa to Yeongmyosa temple, then to the old museum in central Gyeongju, and in 1975 to the present Gyeongju National Museum.
• The sound tube: a hollow pipe rising beside the dragon-shaped hook at the top, a feature found only on Korean bells.

Why 64Hz?

The bell is famous for a sound that swells and fades again and again long after it is struck, an effect Korean calls maekdori — a beat. Because the bell is not perfectly symmetrical, it vibrates at two or more very close pitches at once, and those vibrations keep reinforcing and cancelling each other. The 64Hz of the second part refers to the lowest of the bell's tones, low enough to be felt in the body as much as heard.

Booking, discounts and getting there

Tickets are sold on Ticketlink (product 65607) and by phone on 1544-5955. With only two performances, seats are limited; if you want a particular section, check early.

• Discounts: according to the foundation, Theater Yong members, seniors, disabled visitors, national merit holders and groups can get up to 50% off, and arts-pass and culture-card holders, pregnant women, large families and young people 20–40%. Only one discount applies, proof is checked at the door, and most of these schemes are for Korean residents.
• Collecting tickets: the Theater Yong box office hands them out from an hour before the show.
• Cancelling: no cancellations or refunds on the day of the performance.
• Getting there: from Ichon Station (이촌역), Exit 2, follow the covered underground Museum Path to the museum. The car park is busy at weekends, so the subway is easier.

Getting there and what to expect on the day

Ichon Station is on Line 4 and the Gyeongui–Jungang Line, a few stops south of Seoul Station; from Exit 2 a covered walkway of about 150 metres leads to the museum, all signed in English. Theater Yong is part of the museum complex, and the museum's permanent galleries — free to enter, signed in Korean and English, with English-speaking staff at the main information desk — make a natural morning before a 3pm curtain. The concert itself has no English programme or surtitles announced; it is mostly instrumental, so a listener who reads no Korean loses the narration but not the music. Booking is the harder part: Ticketlink's site is in Korean and its membership sign-up usually asks for a Korean mobile number, and the 1544-5955 line answers in Korean. If neither works for you, a hotel concierge can usually book by phone.