《playlist》Sacred Japan🌿Wind Ensemble Music

SACRED JAPAN — Wind Ensemble Music 1.Ryojinhisho 0:00 2.Madrigal of the Heavenly Maidens 07:15 3.Fushikaden 18:04 4.Song of Dosojin 25:45 A musical journey through Japan’s prayers and beliefs. Sensing the sacred in mountains and forests, offering song and dance to the divine, and wishing for everyday happiness before a small stone figure beside the road. Through four works for wind ensemble by Hirokazu Fukushima, this playlist explores Japan’s varied spiritual traditions and the rich imagery they inspire. 🌿 Ryojinhisho — Fantasy of Kumano-kodo Winding through densely forested mountains, the Kumano Kodo is a network of pilgrimage paths leading to the sacred sites of Kumano. For centuries, people have walked these paths to pray for the peace of departed souls and for their own spiritual renewal. Mountains veiled in mist, and the hopes and feelings of those who journey through them. Drawing on the faith and everyday emotions preserved in the medieval song anthology Ryojinhisho, the music leads us deep into the world of Kumano. Melodies unfolding over a recurring harmonic progression also evoke the cycle of rebirth. 🌸 Madrigal of the Heavenly Maidens — Inspired by In Praise of Great Peace Heavenly maidens, known in Japan as tennyo, are celestial beings often depicted with music and dance. This work was inspired by Shiko Munakata’s In Praise of Great Peace, a vividly colored paradise where heavenly maidens and other living creatures dance and play. Generous curves, a quietly sensual beauty, and an abundance of life: these figures invite us to contemplate a richness of femininity that embraces far more than purity alone. Enter a world where the sounds of the biwa, a Japanese lute, drift through the heavens, mingling with the songs of celestial maidens and animals. 🌿 Fushikaden — The Flower Revealed Through Concealment Deep within Noh theatre lives a spiritual tradition of soothing the gods, dispelling harmful forces, and praying for peace throughout the land. In his treatise Fushikaden, Zeami traces the mythical beginnings of sarugaku, the tradition from which Noh developed, to the dance of the goddess Ame-no-Uzume before the Heavenly Rock Cave. Alongside its role as a performing art, this tradition served as an offering to the divine—a dance that purified the space and invoked blessings. Listen with these spiritual roots in mind, and imagine the prayers carried within the movement. 🌸 Song of Dosojin Standing at village boundaries and crossroads, dosojin are guardian deities believed to ward off misfortune and watch over everyday life. Those depicted as two figures nestled together are also associated with matchmaking and harmony in marriage. For this piece, the composer imagined the deities dancing joyfully when no one was watching, gently nuzzling each other’s cheeks. The music expresses respect for these guardians, who greet us with the same warm smiles through good times and difficult ones, and a wish that the years ahead may be filled with tender love. From deep forests to a celestial paradise. From dances offered to the gods to the sacred presences beside our everyday paths. We hope you enjoy this musical journey through the prayers of Japan. Music composed by Hirokazu Fukushima 【吹奏楽でたどる、日本の祈りと信仰】 山や森に神聖なものを感じ、歌や舞を捧げ、道端の小さな石像に日々の幸せを願う。 日本で育まれてきたさまざまな信仰と、そこから生まれる豊かなイメージを、4つの吹奏楽作品を通してめぐります。 🌿 梁塵秘抄 ～熊野古道の幻想～ 深い山々を縫い、熊野の聖地へと続く祈りの道、熊野古道。 人々はこの道を歩き、亡き人の安らぎや、自らの魂の再生を願ってきました。 霧に包まれた山の風景と、そこを行き交う人々の思い。古い歌謡集『梁塵秘抄』に息づく信仰や庶民の心情を重ねながら、音楽は熊野の奥深い世界へと分け入ります。繰り返される和声の上で移ろう旋律には、輪廻転生のイメージも込められています。 🌸 天女たちのマドリガル ～大平和の頌より～ 天女は、天上の世界に住み、音楽や舞とともに描かれてきた存在です。 この作品の着想となったのは、棟方志功の《大平和の頌》。天女や生きものたちが舞い遊ぶ、色彩豊かな楽園が描かれています。 おおらかな身体の曲線、どこか官能的な美しさ、あふれる生命力。ここでは天女の姿に、清らかさだけに収まらない、女性性の豊かさを見つめます。 琵琶の音が天空に舞い、天女と生きものたちの歌が響く世界へ。 🌿 風姿花伝 ～秘すれば花～ 能の奥には、神を和らげ、邪気を鎮め、国と人々の平安を願う、信仰の世界が息づいています。 世阿弥は『風姿花伝』で、猿楽の神話的な始まりを、天岩戸の前で捧げられた天鈿女命の舞に重ねました。 人に見せる芸であるとともに、神に捧げる舞であり、その場を清め、幸いを祈る祝言でもあった芸能。そうした霊的な背景に思いを寄せながら、音楽に耳を澄ませてみてください。 🌸 道祖神の詩 村の境や道の辻に祀られ、災いを防ぎ、人々の暮らしを見守ってきた道祖神。 なかでも二人が寄り添う姿の道祖神は、縁結びや夫婦円満への願いとも結びついています。 この曲で作曲者が思い描いたのは、人に見られていないとき、互いに頬をすり寄せながら、楽しそうに踊る道祖神の姿。 そこには、よい時代にも苦しい時代にも、変わらぬ笑顔で人々を迎えてくれる神への敬意と、これからの時代がやさしい愛に包まれるようにという願いが込められています。 深い森から、天上の楽園へ。 神に捧げる舞から、人々の暮らしのそばへ。 日本の祈りが織りなす音楽の旅を、どうぞお楽しみください。 作曲：福島弘和