for viola and bass clarinet
duration about 6’30”
premier 0830, 2024 / Trento, Italy
performance by motocontrario ensemble
[Program note]
In Japan, it is customary to light a little fire at the gate of the house or in front of the grave during the Obon”お盆” festival in August and sing simple old songs with the family to guide the spirits of ancestors who visit the family home. This work was inspired by the old Obon song consisting of three whole tones and a simple rhythm, and the image of ancestral spirits running through the bonfire, which I used to imagine as a child.
The Japanese word ʻHinoko’ means ‘ fire-spark’ in English, but in this work, I have given meaning to the name of an imaginary ghost (Japanese women’s names often end in ‘ko’, and I liked this sense of the word “Hinoko”, which makes it sound like a Japanese name.)