Today's program

1. Yobitake Uketake 　　　 　　SIMURA Zenpo Satosi & Christopher Yohmei

Two komusô meet on the street corner, each one has taken a vow of silence. They greet each other through sound.

2. Myôan Taizan Style Honkyoku: Takiochi 　　　　　　SIMURA Zenpo Satosi

Takiotoshi, (The Waterfall) is one of the thematic pieces for today’s concert. SIMURA Zenpo Satosi performs this old version with a ji-nashi (no lacquer in the inner bore) shakuhachi, a simply made instrument without the resilient urushi lacquer coating on the inside bore.

3. Kinko Style Honkyoku: Takiotoshi no Kyoku 　　　　　　Christopher Yohmei

This version, from the more refined Kinko style, differs considerably from the previous Myôan version and is played on a modern shakuhachi with the inner bore coated in urushi lacquer. The difference is a brighter, more penetrating sound.

4. Kinko Style Honkyoku: Shika no Tohne 　　　　　　SIMURA Zenpo Satosi & Yohmei

Shika no Tohne (The Distant Cry of the Deer) is one of the most famous of all shakuhachi pieces. Composed as a duet, it programmatically depicts two deer, male and female, calling out to each other in the through the Autumn forest.

　　　　　　　　　　　*** 15 minute intermission ***

5. Taizôkai 　　　　　　composed and performed by Christopher Yohmei

The Taizôkai is one of two seminal mandalas used in the esoteric (mikkyô) sect of Shingon Buddhism. A central figure (Dainichi Nyorai) is surrounded by 12 radiating sections, each filled with various Buddhist deities. When Yohmei first saw this mandala, as a young man, he experienced the repeated images as tones; each one a reflection of the other and the total mandala as a composition reflecting the self. This piece is performed on a modern ji-nashi shakuhachi.

6. Kokû 　　　　　　SIMURA Zenpo Satosi

This old honkyoku is one of the most sacred in the shakuhachi repertory and is performed on various historical intstruments by SIMURA Zenpo Satosi .

Information about the live broadcast

Today we are streaming the live concert from Chihan'an.
For those of you who cannot attend the concert because of the limitations of time or distance, please log onto the site listed below. The visual and sound quality may be a bit diminished, but we hope you enjoy the concert! The concert will be streamed live and then archived for a period of 48 hours. Please have a look and enjoy the music! The concert begins at 4 PM, Japan Standard Time.

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/chihan-art-project