Sumiko Sato: Sakaya Uta
$5-$15 donation
Sumiko Sato, piano
Paul Taub, flute
Tari Nelson-Zagar, violin
Kevin Krentz, cello
Dennis Staskowski, contrabass
Paul Kikuchi, percussion
Composer/pianist Sumiko Sato premieres a series of pieces for sextet based on very old and historic recordings of Sakaya Uta (sake-brewing work songs), handed down by oral tradition from one generation to the next but now on the verge of extinction due to the mechanization in breweries.
In old-time Japan, it was common in farming communities for men to travel out of town during the agricultural off-season to work for sake breweries in the winter. Away from their families, they would only work for the brewery until the brewing process was completed in the spring. Singing while working helped them work together systematically, especially in time, counting and consistency. Singing was a way to keep track of time and to ease the pain of hard work, as well as have some fun. Beginners had to learn the songs quickly or their wages would be reduced by half.
For this new work, Sumiko Sato has selected eight songs and composed using some traditional melodies, harmonized, and adapted metrical beats for six performers. The recorded songs are sung by four local Sake masters who are of the last generation able to sing them. The show includes a sake-making film so the audience can see how the songs were sung in the brewing process.