Japanese Prints: Concert Band, Ensemble Works, Conductor Score & Parts

Robert Jager composed the three-movement suite JAPANESE PRINTS in 1976 from a commission by The South French Broad Junior High School in Asheville, North Carolina, Patricia Garren, director. Movements: I. KIYOMIZU - a temple-shrine in the ancient imperial capitol of Kyoto, Kiyomizu is a place of contrasts.; II. YUMI KATO - the name of a Japanese girl who performs tea ceremonies in the tea house of the Nagoya Castle. It is a beautiful and quiet traditional ceremony - as delicate as the young lady who performs it.; III. KODAMA - There are two types of high-speed "Bullet Trains" in Japan: the Hikari, an express train, and the Kodama, which makes more frequent stops. A bright chord, which appears at the beginning of the movement and reappears throughout the movement, represents the Hikari speeding by the slower Kodama. Invariably, the Kodama passes Mount Fuji, and it is with this impressive sight in mind that the PRINTS comes to a close.