Oraison et Jeux ~ sous un rai lumineux (pour hautbois et orchestre)

This French title, which means “Prayer and Play – under a bright shine”, was given by a friend of the composer as a French translation of the Japanese title. The piece was originally composed for solo-oboe and piano in 2003 for Tomoyuki Hirota, the principal oboist in the Tokyo Metropolitan Orchestra, to perform. It was re-arranged for solo-oboe and orchestra in 2004 and solo-oboe and symphonic band in 2006.

The structure of the piece is a traditional ter- nary form. The composer believes that keep- ing to traditional styles rather than imposing gimmicky contemporary twists allows the performers to interpret the music using their own creativity and stylistic interpretation. He believes that by giving the performers more freedom to interpret the music, the oboe’s characteristic tones will shine through. This philosophy is also shown in his newer concer- to for solo-horn and orchestra, “Miko Dance”.