著名的华裔美籍作曲家盛宗亮将整个职业生涯奉献于民间音乐。《北极光》是他第一部使用斯堪的纳维亚民间音乐元素的作品，探寻了与美国音乐的关系，如阿巴拉契亚音乐和蓝草音乐。由中国古诗引发灵感，长笛的旋律深刻敏感地展现了爱慕与渴望的情绪，同时辣椒指的是四川省的辛辣饮食习惯。Acclaimed Chinese\u002FAmerican composer Bright Sheng has been fascinated by folk music for his entire career and Northern Lights is his first work to use Scandinavian folk music, exploring its kinship with American sources such as Appalachian and Bluegrass. Inspired by ancient Chinese poetry, Melodies of a Flute captures deep and sensuous moods of love and longing, while Hot Pepper refers to the spicy cuisine of Si Chuan province.