I was commissioned by Tim Deighton early this year to write this piece for his viola ensemble. It was a fresh arrangement for a famous Taiwanese Folk Song. (Over the years, this piece was performed multiple times in American Viola Society's competitions. It was also performed in Taiwan a few times.)

Was it a folk song or composed by a composer?

According to the Enclyclopeida of Taiwan, composer Hok-Ju Lim released a Male Choir version of Thinn Ooh Ooh in his 1965 record "Collection of Taiwanese Folk Songs," without any indication of the authorship of the melody.

In June of 1981, R.O.C. Compare Musicology Society [sic] held a Research of The Origin of Taiwanese Nusery Tunes Conference, and determined that the melody of "Thinn Ooh Ooh" is a Taiwanese folk song.

When I was arranging this piece, I was impressed by the sophisticated motivic, harmonic, and intervalic design of the melody. The linguistic tones of Lim's lyrics also closely match the melodic contour. I believe the melody was most likely composed by Hok-Ju Lim.