"Mountain Song" was commissioned for Jutoku High School (Gunma, Japan) Wind Orchestra's 35th main concert in 2018 and premiered with the composer conducting.


The song depicts various expressions and scenes of a mountain, and the four parts of Japanese dramatic structure (introduction, development, twist and conclusion) are played seamlessly.

The first scene is a gentle and calm mountain range. At the tempo change (6/8 meter) a bird flies along a steep cliff and rain begins as a thunderstorm hits the mountain.
At the 3/4 section rain continues to drizzle, drawing a quiet mountain scene, and in the finale, the sun returns with views of a fresh green mountain.

This piece is not demanding and even beginners with little experience can enjoy the rich musical scenery.
It can be performed with as few as 8 people (7 winds, 1 percussion) and the many optional instruments allow for a wide variety of voices.

(Hayato Hirose)