Echoes from the Sea - Naoko Tsujita

I. Island Whisper (0:00)
II. Island Wind (5:28)
III. Raging Waves (7:55)

Naoko Tsujita's Echoes from the Sea is a three movement work based on chants from the Hidden Christians (隠れキリシタン) of Japan, who were violently persecuted during the Japanese ban on Christianity from 1612 until the late-1850s. Hiding Christian chant inside Buddhist iconography, they maintained their traditions in complete secrecy for over two centuries. Naoko introduces these chants in the first movement, Island Whisper.

The second movement, Island Wind, invokes the Ushibuka Haiya folk dance from Kyushu Japan, where the composer's hometown of Amakusa resides. The joyful music, sung by women for sailors heading off to sea, adopts a light but eerie character, as if trying desperately to maintain "business as usual" while atrocities continue in the shadows.

Movement 3, Raging Waves, is a reckoning and fusion of these distinct Japanese folk genres onto the guitar for a brilliant finale.

Score available to purchase on Naoko's website:
https://naokomusic.com

I commissioned Naoko for this piece thanks to a generous grant from the Ontario Arts Council and premiered it at the Vancouver Classical Guitar Festival in July 2024.

This piece was recorded this summer along with 7 other works with the amazing eyes and ears of my long-time friend and colleague Alex Bougie of the Ottawa Guitar Trio. Next release comes out next month!

Performed by: Daniel Ramjattan
Composed by: Naoko Tsujita
Audio, video and editing: Alex Bougie
Recorded in: Paroisse Saint-Hugues, Sarsfield, ON

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