Seijaku

Seijaku means Tranquility. This piece has many long notes and slowly unfolding melodic phrases in the Honkyoku style. The silent pauses between phrases are a key feature of the piece, and the music should be approached in a mood of calm spaciousness. Great emphasis is placed on the breath control needed to give natural shape to the long notes, and the explosive ‘muraiki’ phrases that occur at several key places in the piece.

The accompanying video was filmed in the serene surroundings of the Zen garden in Eiun-In Temple, Kyoto.

Composed in 2013.