USA East Music NYSB BULLETIN - SUMMER 2018 | Page 12

few hours, several rehearsals took place with
organist Naomi Matsui, The Little Singers of
Tokyo and the Japan Staff Band.
The first run through of Eric Balls iconic
The Kingdom Triumphant with organ was a
near perfect performance and left quite a
buzz around the room. Not expecting such
mature vocal sounds from the Little Singers,
many bandsmen put their instruments down
in sheer disbelief! Our final rehearsal joined
the NYSB and JSB in William Himes’ rendition
of Elsa’s Procession. The last time these two
bands shared a venue was at ISB120 in
London. A memorable moment for all in
attendance as the humble group entered
the stage. Almost seven years later, the band
has grown considerably and still has some
familiar faces amongst their ranks.
Although it had been a long day already .
. . it wasn’t over yet!
The band quickly packed up and
headed to the 54th floor of a neighboring
skyscraper for a beautiful reception with
many local donors. Even after a grueling day,
it was fantastic to see many of the bandsmen
engaged in fellowship and conversation with
local business owners and supporters of the
SA’s mission here in Tokyo.
In the infallible (and maybe made up
Japanese words) of our beloved Colonel
Wayne Maynor . . . Today was a superashi day!
On Friday we headed
for the offices of the
Tamanohada Soap Factory,
where we were treated to
a lunch reception by our
host, the genial owner
of the factory named Mr.
Miki. As we entered into
the reception room, an
organ was automatically
playing Trumpet Voluntary.
You could sense Mr. Miki’s
love of classical music.
In welcoming us to his
factory, Mr. Miki spoke of his
Christian upbringing.
The band chorus sang
an arrangement of the tune
Finlandia in honor of our
host. This classical tune was
said to be his favorite. In
return, during dessert time,
the band was treated to a
recital by several pianists of
tremendous ability. What an
experience!
We then headed for the venue of our
evening concert, the Nishiarai Garaxity Hall.
We rehearsed on our own for a time, and
then were privileged to meet the group
that shared the program with us for the
evening—the Hamahata-Nisha Elementary
School Brass Band. To say that this group was
excellent would be doing them an injustice—
they were simply AMAZING for their age
range of 7–12 years. All of their presentations
were memorized . The bands joined together
to play Fire in the Blood and Valero, and the
kids, on their own, played A Disney Fantasy
and Renaissance. What a performance! Brass
banding in Japan is in good hands!
Saturday begins with beautiful sunshine
and very comfortable temperatures. Cherry
blossoms are in bloom and there’s a gentle
breeze.
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We’re on our way to the Kanda-
Hitotsubashi Gymnasium for rehearsals and
a concert but first we have a word from
Vivien Banks who has been traveling with
us and giving expert direction. Her heart felt
comments about her own Christian walk and
her heart for the Japanese people helps us
to continue focusing on the mission of our
tour . . . not only to bring musical excellence
through our playing but to demonstrate
a love for Christ and the Japanese people.
A mass band rehearsal including all of the
featured bands joined with the Staff Band to
prepare for the afternoon festival.
A traditional tea ceremony introduced
us to the removal of our shoes and Japanese
seating (on the floor) and the very ceremonial
receiving of a special tea ceremony. This
special tea clears the senses and calms the
soul preparing you for your day.
W W W. N Y S B. O R G