See also
Trance: Zen
Program:
20.30 - 20.50 Introduction (English) by Bruno Deschênes
20.50 - 21.35 Yoshio Kurahashi
21.35 - 22.05 Intermission
22.05 - 23.05 Shichiseikai
Shichiseikai:
Since old times, music often goes together with some ritual ceremony. Also, shomyo is a rite-music. Literally translated, the word "shomyo" combines the characters for "voice" and "wisdom". Usually shomyo is sung by a group of monks in a Buddhist ceremony. In Japan, its history is about 1200 years old, represented specially by the chanting-styles of Tendai-shomyo and Shingon-shomyo. It is regarded as fundamental for all later Japanese music. Shomyo combines the Buddhist ceremony with a particular musical concept, in which breath-control and breath-expression are practised. Various melody patterns with its remarkable voice colour, pitch bending and dynamics are created in one breath and repeated with slow tempo. In the shomyo chanting, the time is related with a space, in which the recited melody patterns are constantly piled up.
