WRITERS ABROAD MAGAZINE: THE THIRD SPACE
Someone at the back of the theatre cheers and applauds, the crowd begins to sing
along:
The blushin’ bride, she looks divine/The bridegroom he is doin’ fine
I’d rather have his job than mine/When I’m cleanin’ windows
Shigeto is in great form, grinning from ear to ear and I can’t get over the talent, the
versatility and the incredible ability he has to play and sing a kind of music that surely
must feel unnatural to him.
Pyjamas lyin’ side by side/Ladies nighties I have spied
I’ve often seen what goes inside/When I’m cleanin’ windows
At this point in the song there is an intricate instrumental piece that George Formby
was renowned for. The hall is so silent; I am sure we are all collectively holding our breath.
And then we run into the finale with great aplomb:
An old maid walks around the floor/She’s so fed up, one day I’m sure
She’ll drag me in and lock the door/When I’m cleanin’ windows
When I’m cleanin’ windows...
Shigeto smiles. He takes his bow and walks elegantly across the stage to the wings.
The audience is on its feet. Cheering. “Encore, encore,” they call. I have no idea if Shigeto
understands, but then he appears. He has removed his jacket and his white shirt is
reflected in his pale face. He speaks, in well-rehearsed English, “I will now play Japanese
music for you,” he says, haltingly, “the song is about two people who love. It is about the
cherry blossom tree where they meet.”
We all sit. He plays. He sings. The music is transporting. It takes us to what we think
of as Shigeto’s world.
And he has ventured into ours.
20 | November 2016