Pocket Penguin recently organised an ensemble concert with our students. We and the students enjoyed playing violin, flute, piano, guitar, tombak and melodica. That was the first time for most of them both to play melodica and join in an musical ensemble, but we think they did it very well. We made a CD with the recordings of the pieces they played. Here is one of the recordings on the CD, “We wish you a Merry Christmas”, which we played with a six years old girl, Komachi Paine, a good melodica player.
Pocket Penguin performed at an event of U3A (University of the 3rd Age) with Viola da Cunha.
Performer:
Ayumi Toyama (melodica) Ryusuke Koarashi (guitar)
Programme:
Novello: My Dearest Dear Gershwin: Foggy Day Falla: El Pano Moruno Falla: Nana Falla: Cancion Monti: Czardas Gershwin: (Medley) Love Walked In – I Got A Rhythm – The Man I Love Lehar: Vilia J.S.Bach: BWV 147, Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring Christmas Carol: First Nowell Adam: O Holy Night
We organised an ensemble concert with our students. Both piano and guitar student usually plays and practices solo piece alone in their process of learning. We think it is better for them to have an opportunity to make music with others, to see/experience music from different view point, and playing in ensemble is absolutely enjoyable!
15 ensembles consisted of mainly melodica, and flute, violin, piano, guitar, and tombak.
Music Picnic
PART 1
German Folk Song: Buzz Little Bee (Melodicas) Arr. R. Koarashi W.A. Mozart: That Sounds So Beautiful (Melodicas) Arr. Wilhelm Popp Japanese Song: Mushi no Koe (Melodicas) Arr. R. Koarashi English Folk Song: Scarborough Fair (Melodicas) Arr. E. Coulthard Polish Christmas Carol: Lulajże Jezuniu, Moja Perełko (Melodicas, Piano) Arr. R. Koarashi George R. Poulton: Aura Lea (Melodicas, Piano) Arr. R. Koarashi Czech Folk Song: Polka of Mountains (Melodicas, Piano) Arr. R. Koarashi German Folk Song: The Cuckoo (Melodicas, Piano) Arr. M. Matsuda English Christmas Song: We Wish You a Merry Christmas (Melodicas, Guitar) Arr. R. Koarashi
PART 2
Makoto Nomura: Don Yu (All)
PART 3
Iranian Folk Song: Gole Gandom (Piano, Tombak, Guitar) Arr. R. Koarashi Anooshiravan Rohani: Gole Sangam (Vocal, Tombak, Melodica, Guitar) Arr. R. Koarashi Reverend John Henry Hopkins, Jr.: We Three Kings of Orient Are (Flute, Violin, Melodica, Guitar) Arr. R. Koarashi German Folk Song: Chorus of Frogs (Flute, Violin, Melodicas, Piano) Arr. M. Matsuda Jo Hisaishi: Path of the Wind (Flute, Melodica, Piano) Arr. R. Koarashi Christmas Song: Jingle Bells (Melodicas, Piano) Arr. R. Koarashi
Pocket Penguin:
J. S. Bach: Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring Arr. R. Koarashi Vittorio Monti: Csárdás Arr. R. Koarashi English Christmas Carol: The First Noel Arr. R. Koarashi
We had a concert at Christ Church, Southgate in London
Performers:
Viola da Cunha (mezzo soprano) Yuki Osedo (piano) Jill Anderson (clarinet) Ryusuke Koarashi (Guitar) Ayumi Toyama (Melodica)
Programme:
De Falla: 5 spanish popular songs Musa Mirzayev: Lyrical Piece & 1st Dance from 6 Pieces (of Azerbaijan Folklore) Granados: El Majo Discreto, Amor y Odio Rodrigo: DE Los Alamos Vengo Madre Folk Song: Sari Gelin Gershwin: Summertime (together with all performers)
Our performance of “Oshin’s theme” has been available on youtube. “Oshin” was a very popular Japanese TV drama broadcasted in 1980s. And it eventually became the most watched Japanese drama inside and outside the country, especially in Asia (They have not broadcasted in UK or most of European countries). Composed by Koichi Sakata.
The arrangement score is available to purchase from here. But as the website does not have a good translation for non-Japanese customer, please feel free to ask us if you find difficulty with the procedure to buy the score.
Instruction for performace:
Bar 18: Guitar takes the main melody and Melodica goes to background so should play softly. Bar 20: Melodica gradually gets louder to the bar 21. Bar 21: Notice that the melody on the guitar is passed to Melodica on the first beat. Bar 24: The chord of Dm which the F# on the Em key is altered sounds impressive, and that forms the Plagal cadence with Am in the next bar. It might be nice to play softly. Bar 27: The melody line gradually gets louder (crescendo) towards the bar 30. Melodica normally has more volume when plays single note than a chord, so be careful not to make it too loud at the bar 27.
Our video clip of performing "Amachan opening theme" is available on Youtube. "Amachan" was a very popular TV drama series in Japan, finished broadcasting recently.
Also its arrangement score has been available to purchase from here. Please have a look if you are interested in. As the website does not have a good translation for non-Japanese customer, please feel free to ask us if you want to buy the score and find difficulty with the procedure.
Pocket Penguin joined in a concert organized by a singer, Viola da Cunha at East Finchley Methodist Church.
Performers:
Viola da Cunha (mezzo soprano) Yuki Osedo (piano) Jill Anderson (clarinet) Ryusuke Koarashi (guitar) Ayui Toyama (melodica)
We played some spanish repertoires with the singer. After the performance, some people told us that it was interesting to hear, as those songs are normally accompanied by just piano (or sometimes guitar), and they have never heard the combination of three parts including melodica.
Programme:
Manuel De Falla: 5 Spanish Popular Songs (with singer) Musa Mirzayev: Lyrical Piece & 1st Dance from 6 pieces Enrique Granados: El Majo Discreto (with singer) Enrique Granados: Amor y Odio (with singer) Joaquin Rodrigo: De los Alamos vengo Madre (with singer) Aşık Veysel: Uzun İnce Bir Yoldayım George Gershwin: Summertime (played by all together)
