In 2000 Bright Sheng collected music from the remote mountains and deserts along the ancient Silk Road in China. The Song and Dance of Tears combines Chinese and Western sonorities in an evocation of the deep emotional impressions made on him by the beautiful music of that region. Colors of Crimson expands the timbre of the solo marimba through a fascinating spectrum of orchestral effects, while the skilful fusion of Chinese and Central Asian classical and folk music in The Blazing Mirage was inspired by the miraculously preserved artistic and cultural treasures of the Dunhuang Caves.