Kiriku in concert

On Friday night, Brian & I, along with our friends Gretchen & Kevin, drove up to Lafayette to see the Japanese group "Kiriku" in concert. Others have reviewed the concert - both on the Handbell-L and on the Handbell Community website, so I won't do a full-fledged review here, other than to say that Jim Atchison was right when he said "Those who miss the concert will never understand the loss."

Kiriku was formed and is led by Ms. Taiko Ostubo, a protege of the late Japanese handbell director Mr. Katsumi Kodama. If you didn't click on her link in the previous sentence, go do it now (don't worry; it's in English); I'll wait here for you....

Did you see that? She played in the first-ever handbell concert at Carnegie Hall! She played at the White House for the Reagans! Her group "Chamber Ringing Soloists" played with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra!!

Taiko is known throughout Japan as a handbell artist. People there view handbells as a real musical instrument largely because of her efforts. As an artistic director, she is uncompromising in her demand for musicality - and it shows in the results she gets.

I have to tell a funny story now.

Last year, Taiko came to the US to ring with Sonos. Yes, she commuted from Tokyo to San Francisco several times over the course of 6 months or so to rehearse and perform with us. On one of her visits, she was staying at my house (she is a wonderful house guest!). I was taking Japanese language lessons on Monday nights at the Soko Gakuen in downtown San Francisco & Taiko decided to come with me.

I was in the Beginning 1 class, so Taiko wandered around the school a little bit until she found the Advanced class. The students there were practicing their conversational skills by playing a sort of game. Each person had to say 3 sentences, one of which was not true, and the other people had to guess which one was false.

Taiko's sentences?

"I have met the Emperor of Japan."
"I have met the President of the United States."
"I have met Mother Theresa."

Here's a pic of me with Taiko and Stephanie Wiltse (who flew in from Michigan just for the concert!):



and here's the rest of the set of photos from the concert.