The 6th International Guitar Festival 2006 (Singapore),
Public Performance by Niibori Guitar Ensemble <NE>, attained big success.

Kiyomi Niibori (a member of NE & Ladies' Quartet, Master of Arts in Music)

NE was invited as the top guest of International Guitar Festival in Singapore and held public performance at Singapore Conference Hall at 8:00 p.m. on Dec.6 (Wed.), the first day of the festival, as introduced on this column in Nov., 2006 issue. (This festival and NE public performance were announced in newspaper in Singapore and announced by National Broadcast (TV) in the morning of the day) and N-Method (organization of instruments, playing method, history and philosophy) class was held at Garden Hotel Singapore on the next day. The results are reported here.
NE public performance resulted a big success with standing ovation!! Deeply appreciate all supporters.
Actual program for this concert is shown below.

Program for NE Public Performance in Singapore
1. Three Pieces from Italian Canzone in Baroque Style (M.Hayakawa, arr.NE)
(1) O Sole Mio (2) Torna Surriento (3) Battitori di Grano
2.Ensemble of cembalo guitars of each sound range
Prelude from Partita BWV1006a (Bach, arr. Y.Kuroda)
3. Flute Concerto in F Major (Vivaldi, arr. H.Niibori) Flute solo : Yuko Koshibe
4. Electric Guitar Concert on Theme of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony (K.Momose)
Electric Guitar solo : Naoyuki Sawada
5. Three Scenes of Japan (M.Hayakawa)
(1) Song (from Esashi Oiwake) Lento
(2) Drums (from Gojinba Daiko, Ishikari Daiko) Allegro
(3) Dance (from Yagibushi) Allegretto
6. Sextet by each sound range guitars = DANROKU Jongo (Bellinati, arr. M.Taruishi)
7.Quintet by each sound guitars = Ladies’ Quartet Begin the Beguine & L’echoppe aux Souvenirs (C.Porter, P.Senneville & J.Baudlot)
8. Parade Dir Zinnsoldaten (Jessel, arr. NE) Xylophone solo : Nayu Niibori
9. Espana Cani (Marquina, arr. H.Niibori)
encores continued
10. Funicli-Funicula in Baroque style (M.Hayakawa, arr. H.Niibori)
11. Spanish Coffee (Frank Mills, arr. NE)
12. "Recuerdos de la Alhambra" for guitar solo and guitar orchestra (Tarrega, arr. H.Niibori)
Prime guitar solo : H.Taguchi
13. Singapura (arr. NE)
Performed as above and every piece of music won wonderful hand claps of audience. The last piece for encore is familiar to every people in Singapore and hearing the melody, big shout and hand claps were sounded to standing ovation. Mr. Thomas Liauw, sponsor of the festival, deeply moved and said "I have seen many concerts by famous musicians in Singapore and it was the first time to see standing ovation”. Finishing the concert, lobby was filled up by long line of audience saying “I will not go home without getting signatures of the performers”.
Then, the conductor for this time, Mr. Kazuyuki Terada’s impression of the concert is introduced below.
Finishing public performance in Singapore Conductor of NE Kazuyuki Terada
The overseas public performance for this time, just as public performance in the U.S. in last year, finished with big shout “wooh!” and standing ovation, very rare case in Southeast Asia, of audience. Audience made bright atmosphere with smile, indigenous to southern countries, and I enjoyed swinging baton with feeling warm atmosphere of audience. Many students studying guitar orchestra were seen and finishing the concert, long line of guests holding purchased CD and pen to ask my signature was formed in front of me at the lobby. Hearing from them "I am learning Alto Guitar”, “I joined ensemble last month” and other comments peculiar to guitar orchestra fans, I felt very happy. Furthermore, I could have chance to talk dreams at dinner time with Mr. Raj (conductor of Singapore National University Guitar Orchestra), expected to enter N-school as a foreign student, and I certainly felt bright future of Singapore. Because, I have many foreign students from adjacent Taiwan and rapid development is expected in near future.
I could have chance to talk with overseas famous guitarists and manufacturers and I could get many friends. (artists joined the festival were introduced in Nov. issue.) One of my surprise for this time was to hear “I already know Niibori Guitar” from them. I felt responsibility to their expectations for us from overseas. Anyway, guitar orchestra will expand widely from Japanese original and surprisingly high leveled guitar orchestra will appear in overseas in nearest future.
Overseas public performance of this time made me to feel strongly getting many keys to spread guitar orchestra. Unexpectedly strong impression of the first public performance conducted by Dr. Niibori at Victoria Hall 23 years ago was kept in peoples’ mind and finishing the 2nd public performance, now, I really felt strong persuasiveness of N-method.
I appreciate from the bottom of my heart the kind arrangements by Mr. Thomas Liauw, sponsor and his staffs, personal lead by Dr. Niibori and every supporter. Thank you very much.
Mr. Terada’s impression is described above.
Then, seminar in N-method was held on next day with a lecturer, Mr. Naoto Shibayama, veteran member of NE, and an interpreter, Mr. Noriyoshi Takeuchi. (Mr. Takeuchi experienced to learn at San Diego University in the U.S. and his linguistic ability was fully utilized to act as a staff for this time.) In the seminar, N-method guitars of each sound range played at the concert, for example, comparison between prime guitar and alto guitar solo for same piece of music, solo of soplanino guitar, cembalo guitar, bass guitar and guitarron, duet with alto cembalo guitar and prime cembalo guitar, also duet with alto guitar and bass guitar, and sextet as basic ensemble of N-method guitars, alto guitar 1 &2, prime, bass and guitarron were demonstrated with explanations. DVD of guitar orchestra in big organization including guitar orchestra with 400 members, Dr. Niibori’s original piece “God of Sai” and J. Strauss’ “Fluhlingsstimmen” from main concert 2006 were shown. The seminar was also bustling and full of response.
(Readers in Singapore! Please contribute your impression for concert and seminar to Harmony. The address of e-mail is harmony@niibori.com)
Concert and seminar are reported in gravure of this issue.
Niibori Guitar Christmas Charity Concerts were held at many places in Japan in Dec. and states of affair are reported after page 8.
Since the end of last year, N-group’s new DVDs and CDs were put on sale next by next.
NE Live introduced in last May issue are also put on sale including encore pieces named “Hungarian Rhapsody”. In the next issue, these new materials and public performance in Taiwan on Dec. 30 (joint recital by Taichung Children's Guitar Orchestra and International Niibori Guitar Music Academy Guitar Orchestra B-group!) will be reported.

For questions, advice & requests about Monthly Harmony,

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251-0052 Japan
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