１２月３１日（木曜日）２０２０
毎年秋に「多賀あさひや」で演奏会をしてくださるドイツ在住のマリンバ奏者の布谷史人（ぬのやふみと）さんから嬉しい知らせが届きました。メッセージとともに素晴らしい演奏をお聞きください。布谷さんは２０２１年９月１２日（日）に多賀でのコンサートが決まっています。楽しみですね。来年が穏やかな佳き年になりますように…This morning, I received a wonderful message from Fumito Nunoya who is a marimbist living in Germany and every year in fall comes to Taga to give his concert. I would like to share his message and his performance. Mr. Nunoya will be giving a concert on Sep. 12, 2021 at "Taga Asahiya". We are looking forward to listening to his amazing marimba playing. We wish you a happy and peaceful new year.

（以下布谷さんからのメッセージです）　
今朝起きたら、ビブラフォン奏者、ジャズ・ミュージシャンとして音楽界を長らく牽引してきたGary Burton氏からメールを頂きました。Youtubeで僕とピアニストの車野桃子さんの演奏したLibertangoの動画を見てくださったようで、「たった今、君のリベルタンゴの演奏を観たよ。素晴らしい！本当に楽しませてもらったよ。素晴らしいタンゴ音楽の解釈と卓越した技量。ありがとう。ゲイリー・バートン」との事。(ご本人の了承を得てぇ掲載しています。)　何だか、誕生日、クリスマスとお年玉が一度に来たみたいです。今年は色々とあったけど、佳い年越しが出来そうです。。。皆様におかれましても佳い大晦日、そして佳いお年をお過ごしくださいませ。When I woke up this morning, I saw an email from Gary Burton in my mailbox.
Hmmm??? Mr. Gary Burton!!!!???? Oh my goodness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He wrote「just saw your Libertango arrangement. Excellent! Really enjoyed it. Great tango interpretation and excellent technique. Thanks. Gary Burton」(I got a permission from him that I put the quote from him here.)
It is like Christmas, New Year and my birthday came at the same time. I feel like I finally achieved something in 2020 and am ready to welcome 2021!

Libertango / Astor Piazzolla

１２月３０日（水曜日）２０２０
大晦日を前に胸が痛いです。１週間ほど前、近くに住む親戚のところへ届け物をしようと向かう途中の自業自得の自転車事故。実は大道から脇道へ左折しようとした時、脇道から大道に出ようとした軽トラックが止まったのでその横を通り抜けようと左へハンドルを切ったら自転車が傾きそのまま1.5m下の田んぼの脇まで頭からズルズルと自転車ごと落下。軽トラから出てきたおじさんに「どうもないか？！」と聞かれ電動自転車が重いのがわかっていたので「自転車を上げてください！」と私。雪の後の枯れ草が柔らかかったのが幸いして膝に痛みがあったものの怪我はなく起き上がって道まで上がり、軽トラさんにお礼を言ってそのまま親戚へ。帰ってから膝が痛くてしばらくビッコを引いていたものの少しずつ回復。膝と同時に左胸の痛みも。床掃除や荷物を持つ時、笑った時に感じる痛みは膝よりも上。ろっ骨を折ったかなと思いつつも自然治癒を待つしかなく、目下浅い息で黙々と年末の仕事をしています。電動自転車は革命的に楽ですが重い荷物を前のカゴに入れるとハンドルさばきが覚束なくなりすでに転倒２回経験済み。危ないのでカッコ悪いけど後ろにもカゴをつけて買った食材はそっちへ。とにかく、反射神経衰えの自覚と意外に危険な電動アシスト自転車の運転再注意を肝に命じて新年を迎えます。皆様どうぞよいお年を！My heart aches just before the end of the year. It was a bicycle accident which was my own fault when I was heading towards the house of a relative who lives near me to bring a gift about a week ago. When I was expecting to turn to the left from a main road, a small truck came from the side road and stopped before the main road. I thought that I could get through the side of the small truck, but I couldn't. I lost the balance of my bicycle and fell down toward a rice field which was 1.5m lower from the street. The driver of the small truck came out and asked me " are you all right?", then I said "Please pick up the bicycle on the street!". It was after the snow melted and the ground was soft, so I couldn't get hurt although I had pain in my right knee. I got up by myself and went up the street, and after saying thank you to the driver of the small track, I finished my business matter. My right knee hurt but it is getting better now. I also had left chest pain and it hurts when I wipe the floor, carry a heavy box or laugh at something. I thought that I might have broken the rib but I am keeping my work going with shallow breathing. The electric assisted bicycle is extremely helpful to go uphill, but when you put heavy grocery things in the front basket, it is hard to control the handlebar. I already had two experiences falling down so I put another basket in the back for the heavy groceries. Anyhow, I realized my slow reflexes and need to pay much more attention in driving my electric assisted bicycle and hope for no accidents next year. Happy New Year!

１２月２７日（日曜日）２０２０
先日多賀中学校２年生の職業学習の授業に飲食部門の一員として話をしました。読み聞かせで中１の教室へ行くことはあっても学年も内容も違うこの任務は初めてでどうなるか期待と不安の入り混じった気持ちで生徒たちと対面。結果、生徒たち緊張していたのか反応がイマイチで質問やコメントがもっと出るかと思っていた私は生徒たちと交流できなかった不甲斐なさに正直気落ちしました。昨日、担当の福本先生が一冊の冊子を持ってカフェに来てくださいました。何だろうと思って中を開いたら、３２人の生徒が私宛に感想を書いたもの。読むとクラスでの印象とは違ってどの生徒も結構興味を持って聞いてくれていたことが分かり嬉しくなりました。私の経験した仕事についての興味や、仕事を面白がってとのメッセージや年数回のイベントのことなど細かいところまで書いてくれていました。久しぶりに使ったPPTが分かりやすかったとのコメントも。大人しかった生徒たちがこんなに沢山感想よせてくれるなんて。だったらその場でもう少し意思表示してヨと突っ込みたくなるところですが、中学生諸君の心は微妙…なんですね。I gave a speech as a member of cafe/restaurant owner in town to the second year students in local Junior HIgh School. It was a part of a class of vocational education. There was an opportunity for me to go to Junior High School to give storytelling like I do in elementary school but this was different in terms of target audience and content. I went to the classes excited and a little nervous. As a result, students were quiet and asked very few questions and did not give many comments on my presentation which made me a little disappointed about having no interaction with students. Yesterday, Mr. Fukumoto who is a teacher in charge of the second year students, brought a brochure to me. I opened it wondering what it was. It was a compilation of all letters from the 32 students who listened to my presentation. They mentioned that they were interested in my work experiences, my message to them that they should have curiosity about unknown things and enjoy them, and events which I organized in my cafe. One of the students commented that the PPT which I showed was clear to understand. They all made me happy of course because it was a very different reaction from the one I faced in class. I wished they had expressed their reactions in class, as it would have been much more wonderful. Why did they hesitate to speak out their thoughts? Maybe Japanese Junior high school students are very sensitive.

１２月２２日（火曜日）２０２０
いつもお世話になっているS.Kさんがスイセンと珍しい花を持ってきてくださいました。クラリンドウというそうです。さっそく座敷と次の和室に飾らせていただきました。スイセンは壷に挿している時から甘い香りが部屋いっぱいに広がり一足先に春が訪れたような華やかさです。クラリンドウは蕾のついた花の房がたらりと下がって壷に挿すと瑞々しく光りながら思うところに伸びている葉とのバランスがとてもいい感じ。昼間はかなりの花が咲いていましたが夕方になるとまた蕾に戻っていました。お正月まで残すところ１０日ほど。ブレーキがかかっているのに進んでいるというか、とまどいながらも取り敢えず支度はしておくという何とも曖昧な心持ちのこの頃です。Ms. S.K who often helps me, kindly brought flowers from her home. One of the two kinds is daffodil and the other one which I saw for the first time is called clerodendrum wallichii, from what Ms. S.K told me. I put them into vases in the alcove of the guest room and the next room. Daffodil smells so sweet and the room is filled with a nice fragrance which makes me feel as if spring has already come. As for clerodendrum wallichii, the clusters of buds hang downward and they look nice balanced with the fresh shining leaves which go in different directions randomly. In the daytime, many buds were opened, but when it gets the evening they go back to buds again. We have almost ten days until New Year's Day. I feel like I am continuing to move forward although my brakes are on. It's an ambiguous feeling which I am bewildered about but I am prepared for the New Year anyhow.

１２月２０日（日曜日）２０２０
雪は止み日が差した日曜日であるものの、通りの人出は少なく、カフェの厨房で石油ストーブにくっつきながら年賀状書き。BOSEのSoundLink Mini からはクリスマスの音楽が連続で流れています。良い音質でクリスマスのメロディーは胸に迫るものがあり、ペンを止めながらあれやこれやといろいろなことを思い巡らしています。一人クリスマスもなかなか
のものです。The snowfall had stopped and we had sunlight after that, but even so I saw very few people walking on the front street. I am sitting in the kitchen of the cafe warming by the oil heater and writing New Year's cards listening to Christmas music from a speaker of BOSE SoundLink Mini. The quality of the sound is excellent and beautiful Christmas music is something close to my heart. I often stop writing and think about many things which come to my mind. It is not bad to be alone and enjoy the time. Merry Christmas!

１２月１６日（水曜日）２０２０
多賀中学校では毎年町内の様々な場所で生徒が職場体験をしています。今年はコロナ禍ということで体験は中止、代わりに仕事を持つ人を招いて話を聞くということになり、その一人として私に指名がありました。私はカフェをしており飲食業からの一人ということらしいですが、カフェ歴も浅くその道のプロから見れば素人同然なので辞退したのですが、カフェ以外のことでも何でもいいとのこと。故郷を出て故郷に戻るまで支離滅裂ながら経験した仕事は多く中学生には面白いかもしれないと引き受けました。久々にPPT（パワーポイント）を使おうと思ったものの、数年前までは毎日使っていたPPTがその使い方をすっかり忘れていることに愕然。何とか少しずつ思い出して発表の下地ができました。さて、これから仕事を見つけていく中学生諸君に私からのメッセージ。未知なるものへの好奇心と何でも面白がること…かな。In Junior High School in town, every year students have an opportunity to gain work experience at various places in town. This year, however, due to the coronavirus, all of these experiences are canceled and they invite people to the school who have various occupations and have them talk about their field instead. I was asked to speak as a cafe owner, but I have been doing this job for only four years and I am like a amateur compared to those who have had long careers, so I rejected the offer at first. The person who came to ask me said that it doesn't matter if I speak about matters other than the cafe. Since I have experienced many jobs during the 40 years when I first left my hometown and returned, I think it might be interesting for the students. In the process of the preparation, I was shocked by the fact that I forgot how to use PowerPoint for my presentation which I had been using pretty often when I was teaching Japanese at a college in the US. Anyhow, I tried to remember how to use PPT, and finally I was ready to prepare the material for my presentation. Well, this is my message to Junior High School students who are going to find their jobs for their future. Have curiosity about the unknown things which you will face, and enjoy them.

１２月7日（月曜日）２０２０
彦根市出身のカウンターテナーの中嶋俊晴さん、同じく彦根市出身バロックヴァイオリン高岸卓人さん、チェンバロの三橋桜子さん、三人によるバロック音楽コンサートが木之本ステックホールでありました。木之本は初めて。C.Tさんが車で同行してくださったのは有り難かったです。さて、中嶋さんの歌を聴くのは２度目。昨年彦根で谷川賢作さんのジャズピアノで谷川俊太郎、武満徹などの詩を叙情的に歌い上げてくださいました。言葉が説得力をもって聴き手に伝わる中嶋さんの歌唱力と表現力に感銘を受けました。今回はバロック音楽で歌はすべて原語。ウィーン国立音楽大学大学院、アムステルダム音楽院修士課程を最優秀栄誉賞で修了されヨーロッパの音楽祭など様々な場にソリストとして招聘され、今年は栄えある五島記念文化賞オペラ新人賞を受賞されるなど、世界的に評価され活躍中の中嶋さんの歌は素晴らしいの一言に尽きます。昨年、数多く長い詩を歌われた時も思いましたが、全ての曲を暗譜で自分のものにしていらっしゃるのがさすがプロ。今回は英語とイタリア語でしたが、イメージした表現の世界に入って歌い上げ聴き手は誘い込まれます。カルダーラという作曲家のレスタティーヴォとアリアはとてもドラマティックに、ヘンデルの歌劇リナルドから「風よ、旋風よ」は早いテンポで音階が上がったり下がったり素人の私が聴いても難曲だと思うのですが、役の中に入って歌う大柄な中嶋さんには余裕が見えました。コロナで本拠地のアムステルダムに移るのも難しい状況と思いますが、実力ある中嶋さんの歌を聴かせてもらえたことは幸いでした。I went to a baroque music concert played by Countertenor:Toshiharu Nakajima, Baroque violinist: Takuto Takagishi, and Harpsichord player: Sakurako Mitsuhashi at Stik-hall in Kinomoto. This was my first visit to Kinomoto and I am grateful to Ms. C.T. who came with me by her car. It was the second of Nakajima's concerts for me. The first one was last year and it was with Kensaku Tanikawa who is a jazz pianist and Mr. Nakajima sang many poems of Japanese great poets such as Shuntaro Tanikawa, Toru Takemitsu, etc. I was impressed by his singing which made me imagine the scene of the poems. This time he sang Baroque music and all lyrics were original words in Italian and English. Mr. Nakajima finished a Master degree with Best Honor Award of both Univ. of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, and Conservatorium van Amsterdam. He is now singing actively as a soloist in Europe and this year, he was awarded Gotoh Memorial Cultural Award Most Promising Young Talent Prize in Opera. It was a great concert. Last year he memorized all long poems which were more than ten and it impressed me very much. This year he was singing music of Handel, Purcell and caldara in original words (Italian, English) with no score as well and I thought it was very professional. He expressed the character of the music and drew us into each composer's world. He sang Recitatives and Arias of Caldara dramatically. Rinald " Venti, turbini" of Handel was quick tempo and the music was rising and falling which seemed very difficult, but Mr. Nakajima was singing with confidence. Under this Corona situation, it must be difficult to move to Amsterdam where he usually stays as his home base but I was lucky to have such a nice opportunity to listen to his music.

１２月４日（金曜日）２０２０
今年最後の小学校での読み聞かせは二年い組。今回は「やせためんどりとキツネ」を紙芝居で紹介しました。イタリアの農村に伝わる昔話で剣持弘子さん翻訳、剣持晶子さん絵。貧しい農家のやせ細っためんどりが飼い主に夏の間山に行くことを許可してもらいその道中キツネに食べられそうになるも、機転を利かして通り抜け山に着き、そこでまるまる太って、ひよこもたくさん産んで帰る途中待ち伏せしていたキツネをまたも巧妙に追い払うという賢いめんどりの話し。日本もイタリアも昔話しでは農民は貧しいというのが共通点か、けれど、どこかのどかでゆったりしたイタリアの話です。子供達の反応もよかったのですが、終わってから「めんどりはおばあさんのところへ帰ったのかなあ」と男の子。そうなんです。めんどりがおばあさんの所へ帰ったと完結していないので私もそこが引っかかっていたのです。子供の指摘に「ヤッパね」と思いつつ「帰ったんでしょうね」と宙に浮いた返事をしました。I went to the local elementary school to give the last storytelling of 2020 for the second graders. This time, I introduced "Skinny hen and fox" by a picture-story show. It is an Italian countryside folktale translated by Hiroko Kenmochi, and illustrated by Akiko Kenmochi. A skinny hen in a poor farmer's house asked an old woman who is an owner of the hen to go to the mountain to eat during the summer because the owner cannot feed much food to the hen. On the way to the mountain, she met a fox and she was almost eaten by him, but she got through with her quick wit. At the mountain, the hen ate a lot which made her fat and she hatched many chicks. On the way back to her home, the fox came out again to eat the hen and chicks. Since she was very smart, she used her wit and drove the fox away. Both in Italy and Japan, in the folk tales farmers are always poor but it is very relaxed and peaceful in the Italian story. During my storytelling, I got a nice reaction from the children. When I finished the story, a boy said " I am wondering if the hen went back to the owner's house". As a matter of fact, I was wondering the same thing because the story ended at the scene where the fox ran away and the hen and chicks lived happily ever after. The boy pointed out what I had expected. I said to him " Well, it seems so" anyhow.

やせためんどりと狐表紙

おばあさんとめんどり

きつねとめんどり会う

太っためんどりとひよこ

きつねとひよこ