After returning from my travels, I decided to take a different direction before diving back into my “tape”and orchestra piece. This summer, I aim to revive and update some of my older scores, inspired by lessons learned while recovering Dr. Mark Alburger’s music. My string quartet, The Shadows of Japanese Children, hadn’t been opened in Finale since 2002. This week, I updated those files to the current version of Finale and created MusicXML and PDF versions, plus new audio realizations.
This composition draws inspiration from a deeply moving source—a book titled Unforgettable Fire. The book comprises drawings and narratives by survivors of the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, depicting harrowing scenes of children whose shadows were etched into the ground by the devastating blasts. This musical tribute is dedicated to the memory of those children. This string quartet is based on Japanese children’s folk songs and traditional Japanese forms. Each member of the quartet is featured in a movement, ensuring everyone gets a chance to shine. This work hasn’t been performed much, and the fourth movement, awaits its premiere by any quartet willing to take it on.
This project is part of my plan to add automated score sales to my website. The first step is ensuring all scores are in proper PDF form, ready to go. This effort will culminate in a store featuring perusal scores, audio samples, and purchasing options. Below is a rough draft; let me know what you think!
The Shadows of Japanese Children
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Tags: in progress