The 39th All Japan Guitar Concours, 2008
Kiyomi Niibori (a member of NE & Ladies' Quartet, Master of Arts in Music)
The 39th All Japan Guitar Concours were held from Sept. 15 to Oct. 12, 2008 and
that is specially featured in this issue. This concours is sponsored by Nippon
Kyouiku Guitar Renmei <NKG> and International Guitar Orchestra Association
<IGOA> (President: Hiroki Niibori), and this is a world's exceptional, synthetic
competition (11 departments in total) organized with solo, ensemble, guitar orchestra,
conducting, arrangement, composition, education, guitar & mandolin, guitar
manufacturing, key board guitar (Taishogoto) and electric guitar. The comment
of judge and criticism for guitar Ensemble & Orchestra Departments given by
Dr. Hiroki Niibori, president and chairman of judge, is introduced here.
Guitar Ensemble usually gives you an image of prime guitar duo, but Ensemble Department
of this concours gives you as string quintet, using each sound range guitar of
N-Method = an organization with 1st Alto guitar, 2nd Alto guitar, Prime guitar,
Bass guitar and Guitarron. This organization, like Niibori Guitar Ladies' Quartet
(4 ladies and a man), will be said as a boom that so many participating groups
were organized as this. And other groups performed with the organization like
that of DANROKU (Men's Sextet) = Soprano guitar, 1st Prime guitar, 2nd Prime guitar,
Prime Cembalo guitar, Bass guitar and Guitarron. The Ensemble Department of this
concours basically standing 1 performer for 1 part and it would be better to be
understood as Department of small ensemble.
<Finishing the 39th All Japan Guitar Concours -- from the chairman Dr. Hiroki
Niibori's comment>
This concours reaching 39th year has been brought up to outstanding concours as
so many audiences standing were seen on the final day's <Ensemble Department>
in big hall (about 1500 seats). I, as the originator of this concours, am very
happy and proud of that has been continued for 39 years without intermission.
I appreciate from bottom of my heart for all supporters.
<Ensemble Department> with excellent middle school students showed so many
high records. Children of 13~15 years old could become to be able to give high
leveled, exceeding professionals, performance would be the result of systematic
support and lead by many peoples for long times.
<NKG> (Nippon Kyouiku Guitar Renmei) had been being asked to lead for more
than 25 years of the guitar club of the middle school, won top award at ensemble
department for this time, and I know the all process of their progress. I would
like to tell "how middle school students could grow up like this" in
accordance with real example.
This middle school aimed "education in well balance of intellect and feelings"
since its establishment and thinking "only ensemble with Niibori-Method was
the best fit to middle school students in period of growth", we were officially
asked to lead the guitar club in 5th year of establishment.
I had chance to meet the teacher in charge of guitar club at the time of establishment
on the other day at the school. The teacher said to be just came back to the school
recently after transfers. The teacher moved my "theory of guitar ensemble
best fit to school education", 25 years ago, and he remembered my hot talk
on "6000 years history of guitar and guitar ensemble with middle school students".
And 5 years after that time, 20 years ago, NKG (myself) dispatched present coach
for usual guidance and the same coach continued to lead eagerly until now.
I have been certainly invited to lead once a year until now. When I go to lead,
parents of guitar club students come to see me and we have pleasant talk in car.
BGM is surely pieces of music of their children learning, mothers talk their impressions
eagerly and I can learn many.
At my open lesson, parents and relatives stand at backward of class room to hear
eagerly episodes of music being told to students of the middle school and backward
seats become to be bubbled over with excitement quicker than students. All of
parents with students are enjoying their surprisingly rapid progress.
We talked about many things at principal's room before and after the lesson. In
every year, we talk about the subjects of the year eating delicious local pears.
5~10 years were necessary to provide instruments, for instance, to have sound
of middle school students' guitar orchestra blended into such a splendid sound.
Supporters of the middle school guitar club = parents of them understand, cooperate
and support every thing.
Children in primary school age in this district are said to be showing increase
to apply for admission to this middle school, now known as distinguished school
for guitar. The many graduates from this school will go on to "High school
course of International Niibori Guitar Music Academy" and many of them systematically
take their course to become professionals.
"High school course in International Niibori Guitar Music Academy" provides
"lessons on specialized field of music (guitar)", simultaneously with
general education curriculums in general high schools and graduates will receive
"qualification to enter university" and diploma of "graduation
of vocational college" at the graduation. Graduates, in high school course
or specialized course, of this middle school are seemed voluntarily leading younger
students graduated same middle school. Not only for entire member's ensemble (big
organization) but also for excellent small ensembles, many ensembles are organized
continuously, studying each other, and they are aiming to reach the level of first
class for performance, of course, clothing, action and even for make up. Now in
2008, tradition of man to man leading by high leveled careful leaders has been
brought up to make it possible to make progress very well for each of guitar club
members. Guitar clubs of other schools are also doing same way as mentioned above,
now orchestra or ensemble department for students in this concours reaching extremely
high level and ensemble department is evaluated as "it is surely in top level
in the world" by inspectors, inspecting overseas' guitar concours.
<Orchestra Department> As the features for this department in this year,
general division (division for orchestra by widely aged members from children
to adults) showed progress in fully harmonizing (organization with many kinds
of instrument) and applying PLERA, joyful to see. As the top prize for general
division for this year was won by Mie Prefecture,Tsu citizen's guitar orchestra,
locating far away from headquarter of N-Method, practical usage of DVD and improved
convenience of traffic made it possible to participate in concerts and classes
easily from distant areas and proved to make it possible for local classes to
reach higher level than classes in central area.
For this year also, it will be said as the main factor for victory or defeat would
be "level of conducting" and "number of members".
For questions, advice & requests about Monthly Harmony,
Niibori Guitar Music Academy, Editorial Office
143-14 Fujisawa, Fujisawa-shi, Kanagawa-ken,
251-0052 Japan
Phone: +81-466-23-8338 / Fax: +81-466-23-9337
Back to "Special Topics"
Back to "Harmony" index page
