September 16, 2023, 3:00 PM — 4:00 PM
Join acclaimed Shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute) players Ralph Samuelson and Elizabeth Brown in a program of traditional Japanese and recent music. Originally developed by Zen Buddhist monks as a form of meditation, the quiet sounds of the shakuhachis, blending here with the sounds of the garden, will bring us into harmony with nature.
This program will include traditional Japanese pieces as well as contemporary works composed by Frances White (who will be attending this concert) and Elizabeth Brown. It will also include an arrangement by Ralph Samuelson weaving traditional music together with tanka (short poems) composed by survivors of the 2011 earthquake in Japan and read by James Pritchett.
Bring a blanket, sit back in the early autumn landscape, and enjoy a remarkable experience, especially for anyone interested in Japanese culture, world music, meditation, or a refreshing escape from the quotidian. Read a review of one of their previous performances at Innisfree here.
This concert is part of Innisfree’s programming for Gardens for Peace, an annual nationwide initiative coordinated by the North American Japanese Garden Foundation in honor of the United Nations’ International Day of Peace.
Elizabeth Brown, Ralph Samuelson, and the late Issui Minegishi (who played the ichigenkin) formed Trio Getsuro, which performed at Innisfree in June 2022. They released a CD, Music from Innisfree, which will be available for sale at their upcoming concert ($15) or by mail ($20 including postage). To order, please send an email to sealedenvelope@yahoo.com.
Free with general admission. Please be prepared to walk about five minutes to the concert location (if you don’t linger in the garden along the way). Register here. Rain date is 3 pm on Sunday, September 17. Innisfree will be open rain or shine and there is no additional charge for this concert, so tickets cannot be refunded or exchanged for another date.