A musical wind from Asia stirred hearts at the Touhill Performing Arts Center last Wednesday when the East Winds Ensemble graced the Lee Auditorium stage.
East Winds Ensemble is a group of five musicians who play traditional Asian instruments, but who perform a mixture of traditional and modern compositions, sometimes with a distinctive modern flavor. On November 29, 2006, only four of the five ensemble members were present, which meant that there were some changes to the prepared program.
The evening started with a lovely traditional melody, played by Masayo Ishigure on horizontal stringed instrument called a koto, also known as Japanese zither. She was accompanied by Marco Lienhard on the shakuhachi, a five-hole flute. Ishigure also sang in traditional Japanese style, the only piece in the evening's performance that was not entirely instrumental.
Ishigure wore a striking yellow kimono with a grey flowered print and a dark pink sash, while the rest of the ensemble wore black tights with short Japanese style jackets marked with asymmetric red stripes with an orange "rising sun" on the back. The rest of the members of the ensemble were Barbara Merjan, who played a variety of percussion instruments and taiko, traditional Japanese drums, and Charles Tang, who played koto and a 17 string bass koto. Mr. Lienhard also played Japanese taiko drums. Missing that evening was Min Xiao Fen, who usually plays a four-stringed instrument called a pipa and provides vocals.
The rest of the evening's performance alternated between traditional Chinese, Japanese and Okinawan melodies and more modern pieces. Some of modern pieces sounded distinctly Western, with jazz inspired tunes and other pieces sounded more improvised. The ensemble played in various combinations and alternated slow pieces. Lyrical flute or stringed pieces with livelier ones on drums.
Marco Lienhard composed or arranged three of the compositions according to the program notes but because the pieces were played in a different order than the program and were not introduced, it was often difficult to determine which piece was being played.
Besides alternating between modern and traditional pieces, some pieces for just koto and shakuhachi were performed. One of the most beautiful pieces was a duet with the koto and 17 string bass koto, performed by Masayo Ishigure and Charles Tang. There were a couple of solos, including a particularly beautiful one by Ishigure.
Lienhard alternated between playing the flutelike shakuhachi and the taiko drums. Lienhard and Merjan delighted the audience with a couple of energetic percussion pieces, with both of the playing the taiko drums.
Although it would have been nice to have the pieces introduced, since they were being played out of sequence, it in no way diminished the audience's enjoyment of the evening's music. The audience was long and loud after the last piece was finished.
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