World Shakuhachi Festival - 2008 Sydney, Australia

World Shakuhachi Festival - 2008

Sydney, Australia

Set of 8 DVDs

The Australian Shakuhachi Society, in consultation with the Executive Committee of the World Shakuhachi Festival and the International Shakuhachi Study Centre, produced the fifth international shakuhachi event, held in Sydney Australia in 2008. These DVDs are a of collection of eight including some of the main concerts and workshops held during Sydney’s World Shakuhachi Festival 2008, one of the largest international gatherings of shakuhachi performers, teachers, players and students since the shakuhachi’s early history in ancient China and Japan. WSF08 offered over 70 events, including concerts, workshops, lectures, panel discussions and other shakuhachi-related activities over four and a half days, presented by well over 100 performers, teachers and lecturers representing five continents and featuring at least 10 world premieres and more than twice as many Australian premieres.

Dedicated to the memory and the art of Katsuya Yokoyama (1934-2010)

The first of these festivals was held in Bisei-cho, Okayama-ken Japan in August 1994. Though called the International Shakuhachi Festival and attended by a number of non-Japanese and Japanese living Abroad, it was primarily by Japanese and for Japanese. Nevertheless, it was the first event to include teachers and participants from most of the numerous sects and lineages of shakuhachi.

The event led however, to the World Shakuhachi Festival 1998. Held in Boulder and Denver Colorado USA, and co-sponsored by University of Colorado, this Festival was attended by over 300 participants from all over the world. Its approximately 20 public concerts had a combined audience of over 5,000, making it the largest such gathering ever to take place in the history of the shakuhachi. The festival, held over seven days, also featured over 50 workshops, lectures and panel discussions.

The third international gathering of shakuhachi players, the Tokyo International Shakuhachi Summit 2002, was held in Tokyo Japan in 2002. Though smaller than the 1998 Festival, it went even further in bringing together performers and students of the numerous and often factious shakuhachi sects and lineages in Japan.

The fourth event, the 2004 New York Shakuhachi Festival, held at New York University, Greenwich Village NYC USA, had approximately fifty classes, lectures, panel discussions, workshops and concerts over a four day period. Though its faculty comprised of nearly as many Japanese as non-Japanese, participants were primarily residents of the USA and Canada, with representation from Japan, Europe, and Australia.

	Angelic Voices: A World of Shakuhachi Historically, the sound of the shakuhachi has held a strong appeal, both musical and spiritual. This concert showcases the range of that appeal. Two pieces, Nesting of Cranes and Distant Cry of Deer, are both directly informed by the spiritual tradition of sonic meditation founded by Zen shakuhachi masters. The Wellspring features the shakuhachi in ensemble with Japan’s representative zither, the koto. The shakuhachi and guitar duo of Neptune and Naoi offer jazz and original music in a warm western context. Finally, the two world premieres in this program take the shakuhachi into two deeply divergent modern contexts; Shakedown is for live shakuhachi and pre-recorded sound, while The Aftermath combines the shakuhachi with children’s chorus, marimba and taiko. V-22	Izumi / Wellspring c. Michio Miyagi Kifu Mitsuhashi, shakuhachi; Masateru Ando, koto. Shakedown for shakuhachi and CD c. Matthew Hindson Yoshio Kurahashi, shakuhachi. Tsuru no Sugomori / Nesting of the Cranes Traditional Honkyoku. Gensan Miyoshi & Seizan Matsuzaki, shakuhachi. Aftermath c. Dan Walker Sydney Children's Choir. Instrumental Ensemble. Kamogawa, Bamboo Born, High on Five, West of Somewhere c. John Neptune John Neptune, shakuhachi; Takao Naoi, guitar. Shika no Tone Traditional Honkyoku Teruo Furuya, Kazushi Matama, shakuhachi.
	An Australian as a Shakuhachi This programme features the shakuhachi’s success as a modern ensemble instrument and as an integral part of the contemporary international music scene, which has transcended old boundaries. The Grainger Quartet, harpist Marshall McGuire, didjeridu player Matthew Doyle and Karak percussion appear alongside international shakuhachi players to perform new works composed by four Australian composers, two Americans and one French resident. V-23	Henkyoku Haru no Umi / Spring Sea Variations c. Michio Miyagi. arr. Kohachiro Miyata). WSF08 Participants: shakuhachi & koto. Hanasaki Yama / Flower Blooming Mountain c. Kohachiro Miyata. story by Ryusuke Saito Coro Innominata Chorus; WSF08 Participants: shakuhachi & koto. Voyage c. Marty Regan Grainger Quartet, strings; Jim Franklin, shakuhachi. Place We Go c. Lachlan Skipworth Retsuzan Tanabe, shakuhachi ; Karak percussion, vibes & marimba. Mirage c. Elizabeth Brown Elizabeth Brown, shakuhachi ; Grainger Quartet, strings. Life in a Day c. Stuart Greenbaum Kifu Mitsuhashi, shakuhachi; Marshall McGuire, harp Tyalgum Mantras c. Ross Edwards Shozan Tanabe, shakuhachi; Matthew Doyle, didjeridu; Karak percussion. Fleeting Moment c. Elena Kates-Chernin Chikuzan Nanba, shakuhachi; Grainger Quartet, strings.
	Shakuhachi Champloo - Festival Highlights Here are eight brilliant performances by ten master musicians. These pieces are not on any the other seven WSF08 DVDs and were especially chosen for this compilation. The titles are Mushin, Resounding Bell, Yamagoe, Kokû Reibo, Tsukiyo no Kenshi, Takiochi no Kyoku, Onoue no Matsu, Shôganken Reibo and San’ya. V-24	Mushin / No Mind c. Timothy Constable & Riley Lee Timothy Constable, marimba & percussion; Riley Lee, shakuhachi. Resounding Bell c. TaikOz Kevin Man & Karryn Joyce, metallophones; Ian Cleworth, taiko; Riley Lee, shakuhachi. Yamagoe Traditional Honkyoku Kaoru Kakizakai, shakuhachi. Koku Reibo / Bell Ringing in the Empty Sky Traditional Honkyoku Kawase Junsuke & David Kansuke Wheeler, shakuhachi. Tsukiyo no Kenshi / Moonlight Warrior (See Preview) c. Minoru Miki Christopher Yohmei Blasdel, shakuhachi. Takiochi no Kyoku / Cascading Waterfall (See Preview) Traditional Honkyoku Satosi Simura, shakuhachi. Onoue no Matsu / Pine of Onoue anon., arr. Michio Miyagi Jumei Tokumaru, shakuhachi; Akiko Fujii, shamisen; Akiko Watanabe, koto. Shoganken Reibo / Yearning for the Bell Traditional Honkyoku Kazushi Matama, shakuhachi. San'ya / Mountain Valley Traditional Honkyoku Kaoru Kakizakai, shakuhachi.
	Soulful Shakuhachi The final concert of the Sydney World Shakuhachi Festival 2008 celebrates the multifaceted character of this simple bamboo flute, as versatile as it is simple in construction. Included in this concert were pieces for shakuhachi with harp, shakuhachi with violin and cello, shakuhachi solo, shakuhachi trio, shakuhachi with koto, shakuhachi quintet with taiko, and shakuhachi quintet with marimba, taiko, and shakuhachi chorus. V-25	Demios c. Cyrus Meurant Kuniyoshi Sugawara, shakuhachi; Clare McDonogh, harp. Impermanence c. James Cuddeford Akikazu Nakamura, shakuhachi; Natsuko Yoshimoto, James Cuddeford, violins; James Eccles, violoncello. Piece for Shakuhachi Solo c. Harue Kondoh Kifu Mitsuhashi, shakuhachi. Wadazumi no iIroko no Miya / Voyage to the Deep Ocean Palace Randô Fukuda ; arr. Tomiko Kojima Teruo Furuya, Kaoru Kakizaki, Kazushi Matama, shakuhachi. Aki no Shirabe Michio Miyagi ; lyrics by Chikao Kobayashi Christopher Yohmei Blasdel, shakuhachi; Masateru Ando, koto. Root of the Wind c. Frances White Hôzan Nomura, shakuhachi; TaikoOz, taiko. Bamboo Metamorphosis c. Ichiro Seki Karak percussion: marimba & taiko, Kaoru Kakizakai, Hidekazu Kato, Taizan Kawamura, Kiniyoshi Sugawara & WSF08 participants: shakuhachi. Ichiro Seki, conductor.
	World Masters Concert Following musical blessings from both Australian and Japanese traditions, this program presents the shakuhachi in its classical roots as a vessel of the Dharma in spiritual practice with two works from the Zen shakuhachi tradition, Kinuta - Nesting Cranes and Ajikan. The 18th c. piece, Lingering Moon features the shakuhachi with koto, shamisen and voice. The shakuhachi and classical harp is heard in the modern Australian composition, Feather on the Breath of God and the modern Japanese duet, Forest of the Narcissus Flycatchers is for shakuhachi and koto. V-26	Welcome and Spirit's Dance arr. Matthew Doyle Matthew Doyle: voice, dance, didjeridu, clap sticks. Tamuke / Offering Traditional Honkyoku WSF08 participants: shakuhachi. Kibitaki no Mori / Forest of the Flycatchers (See Preview) c. Kohachiro Miyata Kohachiro Miyata, shakuhachi; Haruko Watanabe, koto. Kotoji, Kinuta Sugomori / Cry of the Wild Geese Traditional Honkyoku Kodo Araki, shakuhachi. Kinuta / Nesting Cranes Traditional Honkyoku Kodo Araki, shakuhachi. Zangetsu / Lingering Moon c. Koto Minezaki Junsuke Kawase, shakuhachi; Masateru Ando, koto; Akiko Fujii, shamisen. Feather on the Breath of God c. Anne Boyd Riley Lee, shakuhachi; Marshall McGuire, harp. Ajikan / Meditation on the Letter "A" Traditional Honkyoku Reibo Aoki (Living National Treasure), shakuhachi.
	S-1 Grand Prix World Finals Concert Thirty-six competitors submitted recordings for the regional preliminaries. The 10 finalists were selected by means of mp3 recording auditions, as representatives from the following four categories: Japan, Australia, the Americas and the rest of the world. These are the finalists. Each competitor performed a six-minute shakuhachi solo of their choice and judged by an international panel of judges. The winner was Chôzan Imoto (Japan). First runner-up was Joshua Smith (USA). Second runner-up was Justin Williams (England). 62 min. V-27	Kumoi jishi Traditional Honkyoku Ryan Anglim (USA) Daha Traditional Honkyoku Lindsay Dugan (Australia) Kari c. Hozan Yamamoto Philip Horan (Ireland) Aki c. Hozan Yamamoto Chosan Imoto (Japan) - Winner Hi Fu Mi Hachigaeshi Traditional Honkyoku Kazuhiko Kira (Japan) Asuka Reibo Traditional Honkyoku Bronwyn Kirkpatrick Kogarashi c. Tozan Nakao Taichi Miyamae (Japan) Kikyo Gensokyoku c. Fando Fukuda Marty Regan (USA) Yamagoe Traditional Honkyoku Joshua Smith (USA) - First Runner Up Tsuru no Sugomori Traditional Honkyoku Justin Williams (England) - Second Runner Up Ajikan (See Preview) Traditional Honkyoku Ting Zhang (China)
	Three Workshops By Three Masters Living National Treasure Aoki Reibo’s talk on Ajikan roams far beyond how to play this classic piece. Junsuke Kawase’s discussion of Qigong and the shakuhachi is universally applicable. Kodô Araki V deals with two of the most important topics for shakuhachi players, timbre and meri-kari. V-28	Reibo Aoki, Ajikan Jusuke Kawase, Oigong & the Shakuhachi Kodo Araki, Timbral Travels with Meri-Kari
	. . . in the between, Meditations and Illuminations on The Tibetan Book of the Dead The intimate setting of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music’s “Music Workshop” venue lends itself to an austere and meditative presentation by Trikaya. This live performance was recorded on 5 July 2008 at 10pm. It allows excerpts from the most influential of all Tibetan Buddhist texts to fully permeate the viewer’s sensorial awareness. …Awakened One, do not let your thoughts wander. Now the bardo of the moment before death is dawning, Abandon all grasping, yearning and attachment, Enter undistracted into clear awareness, release your consciousness into the space of the unborn mind…. V-29	Featuring Trikaya: Michael Askill, bowls & gongs; Riley Lee, shakuhachi & drum; Tenzin Choegyal, vocals & gyaling; James Coates, spoken word.