Hymn (2020) for 2.1 shakuhachi/voice and fixed media

Finnish text by Eino Leino
Vieri ääni äidin virren,
kyynelet enemmän vieri,
läikkyi lämpö äidin lemmen,
tahto taivaisten enemmän:
lumet läksi, suot sulivat,
nurmet nousivat nukalle,
kiuru kimposi sinehen,
lehti puuhun lempeähän,
joka kattoi maammon kummun,
missä lintunen levähti,
kukahti käkösen kulta,
huomentuulonen humahti.

English
Rolled the voice of mother’s hymn,
More rolled my tears,
Splashed the warmth of mother’s love,
The will of the heavens even more:
The snow went away,
The swamps dried up,
The fields turned into fuzz,
The lark bounced into blue
So did a leaf into a beloved tree
That protected mother’s grave
Where the bird came to rest
Slept the darling cuckoo
And the wind of tomorrow swooshed

Hymn is dedicated to my friend Elsa Voima. Hymn is 4 minutes long.

the shakuhachi version of this piece was premiered at the International Shakuhachi Festival by devon osamu tipp on Sept. 10th 2021 at Punctum Krásovka in the Czech Republic.

score and fixed media can be purchased here

manuscript excerpt