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This work was commissioned in 2010 by the Nagano Prefecture All Japan Band Association for its 50th Anniversary celebration. Opening with a grand fanfare, this majestic composition depicts the magnificent nature of Nagano Prefecture including the 3,000 meter high Japanese Alps and Japan's longest river, the Shinano. With no major changes in tempo, the music is driven by rhythmic changes in the snare drum.
To associate this memorial with the Nagano region, Mr. Goto incorporated the melody from the Nagano Prefectural song Shinano no Kuni (adopted in 1968) into the fanfare and the middle sections of the piece. Shinano no Kuni's lyrics, music, and audio sample are available on the website (http://www.pref.nagano.lg.jp). This work's title was inspired by part of the prefectural song.
Nagano Prefecture has a very active wind band culture. Elementary schools feature both brass and concert bands. At the suggestion of the band association, this work's instrumentation is flexible enough to succeed with as few as 20 players up to a full sized band. (Large band: oboe and bassoon have substitutions.) For the memorial concert in November, 2010, it was performed by four different configurations including brass band, small wind band, large wind band, and marching band. With both young and mature musicians in mind, the composition features simplified technique with many opportunities to contribute expressive artistry as the younger performers mature.
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