A Mini Concert at Aichi Children’s Health and Medical Center

We had a mini (Christmas) concert for children at Aichi Children’s Health and Medical Center. It was only 30min, but we did enjoy the nice, intimate atmosphere with them.

1. Yoshihide Otomo : The Opening Theme of Amachan
2. Irish Medley (The Road to Lisdoonvarna, The Swallowtail Jig and The Swallowtail Reel)
3. （The Road to Lisdoonvarna, The Swallowtail Jig and The Swallowtail Reel）
4. Christmas Carol : Silent Night
5. Polish – Clarinet Polka
6. English Christmas Carol : The First Noel
7. Johnny Marks : Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Performer:

Ayumi Toyama: Melodica
Ryusuke Koarashi: Guitar, Melodica

 

Christmas Concert at a Primary School

Duo, with a wonderful vocalist & melodica player—Rika Legum, had a Christmas concert for kids and their parents at Parkfield Primary School. Thank you all for coming, we really enjoyed the performance.

Programme:

1. We Wish You a Merry Christmas — English Carol
2. Jingle Bell — James Lord Pierpont
3. Rondeau — Henry Pucell
4. A Hymn from Jupiter — Gustav Holst
5. Santa Baby — Joan Javits & Philip Springer
6. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen — English Carol
7. Silent Night — Franz Xaver Gruber

Performers:

Rika Legum (Vocal, Melodica, Drum)
Ayumi Toyama (Melodica)
Ryusuke Koarashi (Guitar, Melodica)

— 11th Dec, 2014

 

Announcement for Concert at Holy Trinity Church, 6th Dec

Duo Penguinistan is going to perform next week in London.

Performer:
Ayumi Toyama (Melodica)
Ryusuke Koarashi (Guitar, Melodica)

The Programme will include:
Thomas Morley, Christmas Songs from Catalonia, Irish traditional pieces, and others.

Date: 6th Dec (Sat) 7pm
Venue: Holy Trinity Church, Church Lane, London N2 0TH
Admission: Free (Donation)

Free Drinks will be provided.

Rain Dance by Ross Edwards, Played on Melodica

Rain Dance, composed by Ross Edwards in 1978, originally for two recorders. This short piece features Hemiolic rhythm—juxtaposition of 3/4 and 6/8, and uses pitch materials similar to a Japanese scale called Miyako-Bushi Onkai. For more information regarding the composer & the piece, please click here.

Ayumi Toyama & Ryusuke Koarashi: Melodica

Carrying You, for Three Melodicas

Carrying You, theme song from a popular animation film ‘Castle in the Sky’, arranged for 3 Melodicas.

Composed by Joe Hisaishi
Arranged by Ryusuke Koarashi
Melodica perfomed by Ayumi Toyama

Score: We Wish You a Merry Christmas, for 2 Melodicas & Guitar

We Wish You a Merry Christmas, arranged for 2 melodicas and guitar, became purchasable from here (English) or here (Japanese). For those who are looking for a novel repertoire of Christmas, this may be what you want. The arrangement was originally requested by our student, so technical difficulties were mostly avoided. The point for arranging was an interplay between instruments (especially two melodicas) with changing textures, avoiding just to repeat same material many times. So the theme is played differently each time. Melodica parts can be played alternatively by violin. The sample movie is available on youtube.

Joe Hisaishi – The Merry Go Round of Life, for Three Melodicas

We have been running a club called ‘Melodica Club’ since January. The club is dedicated to enjoy melodica ensemble in multiple parts, and to find different capability of the instrument.

We have been working a lot on arranging and searching for new repertoire for this club, and gained considerable numbers ranging from Renaissance to contemporary. ‘Merry-Go-Round of Life’ is one of those repertoire of us, a theme from an animation film called ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’, included by a member’s request in the club. Ryusuke arranged it for three parts, and Ayumi performed all the parts for this recording. We hope you will enjoy it.