The Last Pieces to make up our Song

　The words full of tenderness. The words filled with sorrow. The words reflecting the modern world. The wishes to encourage and inspire ourselves. The feelings for irreplaceable “you.” The heartfelt desire of expecting the happiness of all.
　Wonderful words were sent to the project of making a new Christmas song of ours. The words, which may be said to be precious memories of each person, are not so long, but in them his heart and expression is shown all the better for the succinctness.

　To fill the two blanks in the first version of “In the Night under Twinkle Stars,” I picked up the most suitable words from the two entry works by Ms.Tsumugi AIDA and Ms. Mayuko SAKAE.
　Ms. AIDA expresses well a voice of angels and those who listen to it on the earth by contrasting an angel flying down from the far sky and those of us who share the same sky. With a charming colloquial speech style, Ms. SAKAE makes us imagine an innocent angel and those who are thoughtful of others.
　Their original works are a bit longer, so in fitting them to the blanks, I revised some phrases like a collaboration while respecting their brilliant poetical essence and thinking of the coherence of the poem.

　I feel a possibility that more new expression will spread from also the entry works not accepted this time. I would like you to cherish your poetic mind.

　Next is finally the recruitment of music to match the completed poem. I am excited looking forward to the birth of our new song with all of you.

Hiroshi KURIHARA

A Message from the Arranger

　There are some first attempts in our project of making a new Christmas song. So I am much excited. A very charming poem was completed by the collaboration between Mr. KURIHARA and all of you. The next step is to set the poem to music. I would like you to set the moment when you feel moved in reading the poem to a melody. Melodies need not be written on a score. Melodies sung to your own guitar or piano or hummed melodies are also acceptable. If you think “I can do that,” you already start to make a lovely song.
　In arranging choral music, I always keep it in mind to make singers imagine the same landscape as the original work. What landscape do you imagine in reading the poem and what kind of music do you make from the impression? Choral music gives us a chance of encounter, I think. What landscape will appear in your composing songs? I am looking forward to many wonderful encounters.

Tatsuya TANAKA

Poet’s Message

　There are so many famous Christmas songs in pop music as well as hymns. These songs, heard in clear and serene atmosphere of the season, gently cover us with a bit sentimental but heartwarming time. “Let’s make our new Christmas song together to enjoy such a precious moment”: it is the essence of the project born from the 35th anniversary of the founding of Pana Musica.

　Asked to write a poem for the project, I started to read the passionate messages of the Pana Musica staff to celebrate the anniversary. Each is full of various thoughts for the 35 years. The anniversary year surely gives us an opportunity to recollect sweet memories and expect the future.
　To deliver a score to a loved one is the very action of expressing our love and dream or sending our heart and belief, which we are normally embarrassed to say. I wrote “In the Night under Twinkle Stars,” thinking such a thing and finding the words which match the Christmas season.

　There are two blanks in the poem in our hearing “a voice of angel” and “a tender song.” In this regard this poem is unfinished. I would you like to fill the blanks to complete our poem by imagining the voice or the song or thinking on each story behind the poem as your own way. You don’t need to be aware of stylistic coherence. Just feel free to put the words you think best.

　It is exciting just to imagine what appropriate words will come in the blanks. I would be happy if I could collaborate with as many people as possible. I am looking forward to your application.

Hiroshi KURIHARA

(Translated by Hirohisa KANNO)