March Music Miscellany

Last Sunday I went to a piano recital. Hinano, seven-year-old daughter of one of my teachers, was playing, and her dad invited me. The recital was for a local youth piano academy, and the performers ranged from adorable four-year-olds to adorable eight-year-olds, all of whom fidgeted uncomfortably the whole time in their dresses and three-piece suits. There were no solo performances, which I found culturally interesting. Rather, the kids collaborated in groups, using electronic keyboards to play different parts of a single song. It was lots of fun to watch, and they all did very well.

This Sunday I had a chorus concert. I seriously considered skipping out on it, as it fell right on a three-day weekend. As the time drew nearer, though, I decided to have my cake and eat it, too: I went to Osaka and came back in time for the concert.

Unlike February's, this concert was primarily the high school chorus' gig, with Chorus D making a cameo appearance at the end. This was the farewell concert for the graduates. In addition to their usual (and pretty) ensemble repertoire, there were a couple of performances by smaller groups of the singers. Two of the three boys in the chorus--all three of whom graduated this year--performed a duet rendition of a pretty Japanese ballad. I noticed lots of girl students in the audience, several of whom showed up just in time for that set, and left right after.

For our part, we sang a few of our usual songs. They went well, but the best part was our finale. We performed the theme for Uchuu Senkan Yamato, accompanied by the high school chorus. According to the conductor, the chorus had been after him for months, begging him to let them sing it with us. I guess they dig the bass line.