Moving prayers transform deep tragedy into a powerful symbol of true peace.
Flute (div. )
Piccolo
Oboe (div. )
English Horn
Bassoon (div. )
Eb Clarinet
Bb Clarinet 1
Bb Clarinet 2
Bb Clarinet 3
Eb Alto Clarinet
Bb Bass Clarinet
Bb Contrabass Clarinet
Eb Alto Saxophone 1
Eb Alto Saxophone 2
Bb Tenor Saxophone
Eb Baritone Saxophone
F Horn 1/2
F Horn 3/4
Bb Trumpet 1
Bb Trumpet 2
Bb Trumpet 3
Trombone 1
Trombone 2
Trombone 3
Euphonium (div. )
Tuba (div. )
String Bass (div. )
Harp
Timpani
[Percussion 1] Bell Tree, Wind Chime, Bass Drum, Tambourine, Tam, Crotale (E-flat )
[Percussion 2] Glockenspiel (or Celesta ), Suspended Cymbal, Cymbals, Ratchet, 2 Snare Drums, 2 Toms, 2 Sleigh Bells
[Mallets] Vibraphone (or Celesta ), Xylophone, Glockenspiel, Chimes (A )
Around 1990, I received a request for a piece about Nagasaki. That city, along with Hiroshima, experienced the horrors of nuclear weapons for the first time in human history. I did not feel I was at a point where I could write about a monumental theme like war. That's how I came to compose "Gloriosa", regarding underground Christianity in the area of Nagasaki.
In 2009, I received a commission from Hiroshima, another city with a terrible atomic war memory. This time for sure I wanted to write about war and peace. I wanted to use all of my heart and soul to create a song of prayers, and to describe the drowning city becoming a symbol of peace, calling it "Morning Songs" reflecting a "Morning of Peace." It was morning when the bomb hit Hiroshima ? August 6, 1945 at 8:15 AM.
The start of the 21st century also saw the September 11 attacks in America. I began writing many peace-themed works for band and chorus, including the recent "The Tale of the Blackened Canteen" (opera ) that premiered in May, 2018.
"Morning Songs in Hiroshima" was commissioned by Suzugamine Girls High School Wind Orchestra; it premiered on April 26, 2009.
(Yasuhide Ito)
