Juusankai-wa-gekkou - Sariel

Charles Frederick Tunnicliffe (British, 1901-1979). When Birds Do Sing. Watercolour and pencil on paper.

Bonhams

Water biscuits

Acchan...... 💀

um...

Visit Norway!

Seimei | Shigeru Umebayashi (梅林茂)

Onmyoji I and II OST

In the past couple of months I have become an ardent fan of the figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu for numerous reasons. I admire his courage in the face of unimaginable pressure as an athlete, but above all, his ability to make the sport an art form in itself always renders me speechless. Of his routines, his free skate from last season with which he smashed the world records again and again (x, x) is still my favourite. 

The music, of course, is a huge part of why the program is so critically acclaimed. It is a medley of soundtracks from the movies Onmyoji and Onmyoji II. It is a glorious mix of grandeur and tranquility, and Yuzuru’s elegant but powerful interpretation of the music just gets the blood pumping (check out this step sequence to bless your eyes). The percussion-heavy section which features the song Rambling God (荒ぶる神) is my favourite.

I have spent weeks hunting down the individual soundtracks because they are not easy to find without knowing Japanese, but I finally found them here! In the process I also found a whole treasure trove of other songs from the prolific composer Shigeru Umebayashi, and all his works are treasures.

Have a listen!

- S