The Royal barge procession has been a royal tradition passed down from the periods of Ayutthaya through Thonburi and Rattanakosin. In the old days, it was created for several purposes such as a sending off ceremony when the King went away to war, or merely as a religious or royal celebration. The exquisite detailed work on the royal barges represents an artistic craftsmanship unlikely to be equalled by any other nation in the world. A dramatic boat song called “Heh Rue†is chanted as the royal barges glide along the river to keep the movement of the oarsmen in rhythm and alleviate their fatigue. This particular ceremony was recorded on the occasion of His Majesty the King’s donation of robes to monks at Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn, on November 7, 1997.
The 1,100-metre long and 90-metre wide procession included 52 magnificent barges manned by 2,284 brilliantly clad oarsmen in wing-beating motion. All recording was done from the banks of the Chao Phraya River near Tha Sukri. It enabled the pick up of sound from the Heh Rue chanting to the wailing of conch shells and pipes, the rhythmic banging of metal drums (glong mahoratueg), victory drums (glong chana), and the paddles on the barges.
The 1,100-metre long and 90-metre wide procession included 52 magnificent barges manned by 2,284 brilliantly clad oarsmen in wing-beating motion. All recording was done from the banks of the Chao Phraya River near Tha Sukri. It enabled the pick up of sound from the Heh Rue chanting to the wailing of conch shells and pipes, the rhythmic banging of metal drums (glong mahoratueg), victory drums (glong chana), and the paddles on the barges.