The Grass Flute of New Creation

Composer: Noritaka Moriyama

Words from composer:

I composed “The Grass Flute of New Creation” with the idea that I could write a simple and sturdy suite for TTBB chorus by using four voices in two staffs and no divisi in each section, instead of four sections with a staff for each part. The Eternal Singers, an alumni choir of the high school I attended, accepted to perform the premiere, and I myself participated in the premiere as a member of the group. I still remember how happy I felt to be able to premiere my own work with my long-time friends who had sung with me.

Though the piece requires the vocal technique (and stamina!) to sing the continuous high notes and  quickly changing chords accurately, the writing itself is simple. I believe it can be sung by choirs of all sizes.

Since this is a young work, there were various flaws in the details of the music, including notational problems. These have been corrected in the revised premiere by Voces Veritas and in this publication.