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The Japanese, vertical end-blown bamboo flute, the shakuhachi, has become an icon of traditional Japanese music. The beautiful, mystic sound of the bamboo attracts world wide interest from those cultivating Japanese aesthetics to avant-garde composers. During the Edo period (1603 - 1867), the shakuhachi was used as a tool for meditation by Zen Buddhist priests in order to reach enlightenment, but it is now used in a wide variety of musical forms and styles. Whatever approach to the instrument one chooses to take, the aim of the European Shakuhachi Society is to create an environment where many of the different schools and styles of shakuhachi playing can be explored and their differences celebrated. Summer Schools and seminars held by the ESS are open to anyone who has an interest in shakuhachi including beginners. We hope that by creating a space for all shakuhachi players, as well as for koto and shamisen players, to get together, we can enhance an interest in these beautiful instruments, share experiences, widen an understanding of different styles of music and develop playing techniques . The shamisen (3 stringed lute) arrived in Japan via the Ryûkyû Islands during the 16th century. During the Edo period (1603-1867), the shamisen developed into an versatile instrument used in a range of different contexts from min'yô (folk song) to theatrical genres and as an accompaniment to songs in the traditional entertainment districts. We would like to thank: |
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