We held a joint practice session for two consecutive weeks on Saturday, February 26th and Sunday, February 27th.

With less than a month until the regular concert in March,
In order to make up for the missed opportunity from last month's joint training session,
Following last week, we held a joint practice session in Fukushima City.

Despite the current spread of infection, we were able to borrow a practice space.
The event was held in the banquet hall of the Surikamitei Otori Ryokan in Iizaka Onsen , which is owned by the National Mutual Aid Agricultural Cooperative Association (JA Zenkyoren), another sponsor of the event, just like last week.
Thank you very much for the past two weeks.

The location is Fukushima Station on the JR Fukushima Line, which you can transfer to at Fukushima Station. Unlike last week, this time I was at the practice site from the second day, and I spotted a familiar group of female members.

The elementary and junior high school students who joined the group as part of the first group seven years ago have now grown up, and it makes me realize once again how time has passed.

There were train photographers on the platform with their cameras, so I was tempted and pressed the shutter button. This is a great train.

It takes about 20 minutes to get to Iizaka Onsen Station on this retro single-track train, and then a bus to the practice venue.

Desks will be set up in front of the practice venue inside the inn, and everyone will undergo antigen testing as shown in the photo at the beginning of this article as a border control measure.

The Miss Antigen Test photo this time is of captain Shiori Tajima (horn).

We need to establish and implement procedures to get all the tests done as quickly and accurately as possible. This is a job the secretariat could not have imagined two years ago.

After about five minutes, the names of those who test negative will be called and they will be allowed to enter the practice venue.

On this day, the morning began with the orchestra performing Beethoven's Ninth Symphony under the direction of Toshio Yanagisawa.

At lunch, we enjoyed a delicious lunch provided by the JA Kyosai Fukushima Prefectural Federation in a separate banquet hall. Thank you very much for everything.

Lunchtime has usually been a lively time, but in response to the request to "please wear masks if possible, but in any case let's eat in silence," the lunch break was unusually quiet for the Tohoku Youth Orchestra.

In the afternoon, the group practiced their parts performing together with guests (Non and Yoshinaga Sayuri) in the string section from director Ryuichi Sakamoto's new song "Ima Jikan ga Kagate."

Although it's a break for the wind and percussion sections, everyone spends the time meaningfully.

Here, the three horn players (from left: Mikami Reo, Tajima Captain, and Kikuno Kanade) are diligently practicing their piece before the concert begins.

Or so I thought, next to it.

Takumi Tomizawa, the second son of the three percussion brothers, was trying to help Hiroko Onizawa (a sixth grade elementary school student), a seventh-year student who joined the same section this term, with her homework, but she was reluctant. Takumi has been a respectable member of society since this spring, but it is a tradition in the Tohoku Youth Orchestra to be criticized by sixth graders. It's a scene that makes me smile, as if I'm looking back at the past of the eldest son of Tomizawa, who is now a school teacher.

Regardless of this, practice for the string section is progressing smoothly.

On this day, we were interviewed by a media writer.

Two medical students, Akiba-kun on trumpet and Igarashi-san on bassoon, were there and we interviewed them. Listening to them talk about how the Great East Japan Earthquake was the reason they decided to go to medical school, I felt that 3/11 continues to haunt each of them even though it has been 11 years since the disaster. An article about the interview will be published on " CHANTO WEB " soon.

Then, in the break room.

The makeshift tutor looked great. In front of him was someone composing music on a PC. Behind him were the members of the orchestra practicing their pieces before the show started. Although the conversations were quiet, the usual relaxed atmosphere was reassuring.

Even after the whole group joint practice was over, music college student Sekine Satoshi (oboe) gave individual instruction to high school second-year student Ishikawa Suika (piccolo)!

I applaud everyone's determination and actions to raise the level of their performance.

With the percussion instruments loaded, the next time we'll see them is at the training camp in Morioka just before the performance, and it feels like the day is fast approaching.

We left the practice venue, seen off by the staff of Otori Ryokan, who bowed deeply and humbly, and Mr. Takeda Manabu of the Fukushima office, who waved cheerfully. We bowed deeply and express our deepest gratitude. Thank you very much for all your help.

And so, following on from last week's report, I'll repeat myself.

The regular concert next month will be the first in three years.
March 22 (Tue) Iwate Prefecture Morioka City Cultural Hall Large Hall Guest: Nonsan
Wednesday, March 23rd, Tokyo Electron Hall Miyagi, Miyagi Prefecture Guest: Sayuri Yoshinaga
March 24th (Thursday) Fukushima Prefecture Toho Minna no Bunka Center (Fukushima Prefectural Cultural Center) Large Hall Guest: Yoshinaga Sayuri
Saturday, March 26th, Suntory Hall, Main Hall, Tokyo Guests: Yoshinaga Sayuri and Tohoku Youth Orchestra This will be the first time in history that there will be four performances.

The program will be well worth listening to, including the world premiere of a new piece written by Director Ryuichi Sakamoto specifically for the Tohoku Youth Orchestra, and Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 performed by the "Tsunagari Choruses," groups formed in areas affected by natural disasters across the country.

For more information, please click here.
http://tohoku-youth-orchestra.org/#liveinfo

Members, let's practice. The next training camp is in Morioka. Let's meet again in good health and safety.

To everyone who has come across this page, we hope you will come to the venue and experience the sound of the Tohoku Youth Orchestra for yourself!