Masanori TARUYA

This piece was jointly commissioned by Mr. Noriaki Sakurauchi from Seika Girls’ High School Band and fostermusic Inc.
When I visited Izumo with my advisor Mr. Sakurauchi in search of inspiration for the composition, I was struck by the Mankusen Shrine’s memorable tale of Kamiari-zuki, which I decided to draw on for this piece.
The 10th month of the lunar calendar is usually known as Kamina-zuki in most places in Japan as the divinities are believed to be away during this time, but it is known as Kamiari-zuki in Izumo because that is the place where the countless divinities of Japan gather in this month.
A Kamimukae-sai is held at each shrine in Izumo where the divinities gather to welcome them, followed by a Kamiari-sai, and finally a Karasade-sai to see them off as they return to the rest of the country.

The piece opens with a depiction of the Ryujin-sai, a secret ceremony to welcome the divinities that is held by the chief priest alone by the waterside of the Hii River near the shrine.
The woodwind ensemble gradually takes over, leading up to a melody reminiscent of prayers.
The piece then enters an Allegro section, where the delicate passages of the woodwind instruments, the rhythm of the taiko drums, and the heroic melody of the brass instruments combine to conjure a scene of dragons and serpents soaring through the sky and leading the divinities.
The music then calms down again before the melody of the divinities that now permeates the entire orchestra pays tribute to their grandeur and culminates in a dazzling ending.
The divinities hold a feast called Naorai at the site before finally returning to their respective shrines early the next morning, promising to meet again the following year.
The gathering of the divinities sparks the blooming of cherry blossoms as their magnificent feast unfolds.
The piece marks this feast of gods by ending with a flourish.

This piece is entitled “Sakura,” with the old form of this Japanese kanji character taken from the name of Mr. Sakurauchi, who had commissioned it.

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