Voice Introduction.
Listen to the contents of this page in MORINORI’s voice
*Please note the volume
Today we would like to report on the small concert “On the Sea off Nachi” that we held on Tuesday, September 24, 2024. This concert was held on August 27 and September 24 at kt.Space in Yokohama.
Off the coast of Nachi Click here for the feature page
https://morinorijapan.com/nachinookinite
Event report:
Tuesday, September 24th, Off the coast of Nachi
Telling a story by switching between two picks
This was a first for me, and I changed the pick I used in the middle of the story. The one on the right is my pick, and the one on the left is a pick that my Master gave me. For the first half of the performance, “Yokobue”, I used my Master’s pick, but for the second half, from the part where the priest Takiguchi Ido speaks in “Koremorijusui”, I changed to my own pick. It is my personal feeling, but the thin, angular shape of the Heike biwa plectrum is perfect for telling stories about battles and military campaigns because it produces a tense sound when played. I also feel that it is well suited to the sense of tragedy when telling a sad story. As this venue has a very resonant sound, I started telling the story using the Master’s plectrum, which is good for producing soft sounds, and then changed to my plectrum to add momentum as Takiguchi Nyudo gave his teachings to Yoshimori, and then towards the end. There are many challenges ahead, but it was a very meaningful challenge.
The audio recording of this concert is available here (please be careful of the volume).
(Audio only) Please be careful with the volume.
Time: 60 minutes 36 seconds
Recording: Live performance on September 24, 2024
Heikyoku “Yokobue” 4:03~
Heikyoku “Koremorijusui” 30:36~
As the sound of the venue is left as it is, there are some parts that are difficult to listen to. Also, due to the structure of the concert, there are some parts where the songs are sung without accompaniment.
Please see the feature page for modern-language translations of each story.
https://morinorijapan.com/nachinookinite
This time’s outfit
Egg-colored plain kimono, blue-green obi, and beige hakama
Seeing an invisible landscape within myself
This year, I performed in a concert for the first time called “Off the coast of Nachi”. I had been working on the composition for several months, deciding on two pieces, “Yokobue” and “Koremorijusui”. Although it was a small group, I felt the weight of performing in front of an audience and receiving payment for my performance, and I cherished the feeling of seeing an invisible landscape within myself.
It’s just my imagination and fantasy, but in the story of ‘Yokobue’ I saw the soft fingertips of the yokobue peeping out from the kimono, and in the story of ‘Koremorijusui’ I saw Yosabee and Ishidoumaru nod to each other as they watched Koremori off. It was a fantasy, a scene that only I could see that wasn’t written in the story, but it was a good opportunity to sharpen my senses and expand my imagination. All the imagination I build up inside myself supports and heals my heart. The more I learn, the more I cry for someone I can’t see on the other side, and I want to join my hands together.
While speaking the words of Takiguchi Nyudo in “Koremorijusui”, I felt at once a sense of relief, the pressure of a voice cutting through lingering feelings, and the tears of someone sending off a loved one. My heart is in a state of traffic jam with all these different feelings. I feel like I’ve been with everyone in the story for several months, so it’s sad to leave, but when I visit the story again, I’ll practice more so that I can see even more different scenery.
Thank you very much to kt.Space, who took care of us, and to everyone who came from far away. I hope we will meet again.
Yokobue, Koremorijusui
Modern translation synopsis
Summary of the Tale of the Heike, Volume 10, “Yokobue
TairanoKoremori’s thoughts turn to his family back in the capital, and he secretly slips away from Yashima, where the Heike clan are staying. However, he struggles with the idea that he must not go to the capital and be captured, and heads for Koyasan. There he met Takiguchi Nyudo (Saito Takiguchi Tokiyori), a man who had once loved a woman called Yokobue, but who had gone on to become a Buddhist priest after his family opposed their relationship.
Full modern translation of “Yokobue”
https://morinorijapan.com/tale-of-the-heike/yokobue-nachinookinite
Summary of the Tale of the Heike, Volume 10, “Koremori Jyusui
After visiting the three Kumano Shrines, Tairano Koremori and his party head for the sea. Before Koremori jumps into the water, Takiguchi Nyudo, who sees Koremori’s distress at the thought of his family, wipes away his tears and, feigning composure, tries to persuade him. The story describes Koremori’s final moments, as he cuts off his lingering attachments and chooses the path of enlightenment.
Koremorijusui Complete Synopsis in Modern Japanese Translation
https://morinorijapan.com/tale-of-the-heike/koremorijusui-nachinookinite
