Denmark (2) | 七瀬あゆこ公式ウェブサイト

On-the-ground research in Denmark (1)

(In progress)

On-the-ground research in Denmark (2)

--- --- ◆福祉大国デンマーク「魂の歌」を探して [2013] ◆ --- --- (『ろここ通信』No.87 2014.4 より)

コペンハーゲンで、ドタバタ喜劇仕立てのオペラ（ヴェルディの『ファルスタッフ』）を観て、まるで綾小路きみまろの漫談を楽しむようにゲラゲラ笑うデンマークの老女たちに圧倒されたあと、デンマーク第二の大都市オーフスAarhusを訪れました。
オーフスは、フルートの編曲作品でも取り上げている作曲家シュッテ L.Schytte の出身地です。…市内には、デンマークの古い時代の風景を再現し、保存しているオールド・タウンという人気のスポットもあり（写真3）、アンデルセンの時代の、貧富の差歴然とした生活ぶりが、デンマーク人らしい合理性に基づいた、効果的な手法で展示されています。今や、国連の幸福度調査世界ナンバーワンのデンマークですが、このような、正史に書かれていない劣悪な状況を克服してきたのかと思うと、言葉を失う思いでした。

さらに今回は、現地在住の日本人コーディネーターにお世話になり、オーフスから南に約40キロ下がったところにある、デンマークを象徴する教育機関「フォルケホイスコーレ」（国民高等学校：成人教育のための寄宿制の私立学校）の一つを見学。障がい者と健常者が共に生活し、学ぶという、デンマークでもユニークな現場で、13名の若い日本人留学生と共に、日本からの独立行政法人の方々の研修プレゼンを聞き、現地の障がい者にインタビューさせて頂いたり、一緒にお喋りしながら食事をしたり…などなど。
もちろん本業の音楽の調査も収穫があり、楽しい一日となりましたが、究極のバリアフリーは、やはりまず「心」から、という考えを実践している世界は、まさに圧巻。現地だからこそ伝わってくる感覚を味わうことができ、またとない経験となりました。

Search for songs of soul and spirit in Denmark as the great nation of welfare Oct.2013

Having been overwhelmed by Danish old ladies enjoyed the opera Falstaff of Verdi as if they gave a horselaugh to Japanese famous comic chat artist Kimimaro Ayanokoji, it may be because its dramatic interpretation had a kind of wham-bam taste. After going to the opera in Copenhagen, I visited to Aarhus the second large city in Denmark.
Aarhus is the birthplace of Ludvig Schytte, Danish composer whose piece I dealt with as my arrangement work for flutes. The old town is a popular tourist area in Aarhus, where old landscape was recreated and preserved carefully. It shows various ways of living that represent unbridgeable gap between rich and poor in times of Andersen, and the way of display is based on rationality that is so effective and just like Danish to do so. Denmark is recently well known as a nation having the highest level of happiness by the investigation of UN, but when I saw that Danish people had overcome such cruel conditions which had not had appeared in their official history, I was dumbfounded at those facts.
Another purpose of this travel is to visit an educational institution “folkehøjskole” which exists about 25miles south of Aarhus. Folkehøjskole means private boarding school for adults representing the quality of Danish spirituality in which I have been interested. Guided by a Japanese staff member working there for long time, I spent a day with other students including 13 Japanese staying there, talking and having meals with them. This school stands out for the educational style in Denmark which means that the physically or mentally challenged people live with the unimpaired people and study together helping each other. Japanese officers from an independent administrative institution also joined us and made a presentation about their research of front-line facilities of welfare, and a local aphasic person in wheelchair gave us a short lecture about Danish social systems accompanied by his helper, from which we could glimpse the current situation or the issue of their world.
Of course, I could get fine information about music in their lifestyle, and having an enjoyable day, it was an overwhelming sight that pursued the concept of the ultimate barrier-free world coming from each person's mind. It was a prime opportunity because I savored the unique sense that only exited on-site in Denmark.

--- --- ◆福祉大国デンマーク「魂の歌」を探して［2014］◆ --- --- （『ろここ通信』No.89 2015.4 より）

デンマークを象徴する、成人教育のための私立学校フォルケホイスコーレ では、長年の伝統として毎日使われているコンパクトな歌の本 ホイスコーレ歌集 というのがあり、渡航前から私はこの内容に非常に興味を持っていました。昨年の調査では、この本の編纂メンバーのお一人で、ホイスコーレ社会での中心的役割をされている、エアリング・クリスチャンセン氏 (Erling Christiansen)に、インタビュー取材をする機会に恵まれました。

歌の好きな民族といわれるデンマーク人。デンマークでの歌の役割と歴史、そして現在の状況や将来の展望まで、情熱的に語ってくださった二時間。「歌集の音楽的な面に注目した外国人には初めて会った、実に300年ぶりのことだ (注：歌集として編纂されたのは、19世紀末からだが、はるかに古い時代の歌も入っていて、それらに関心を示した外国人が昔いた、という意味のよう。)」と、来訪を歓迎して下さり、こちらも大いに背中を押される思い。
なかでも、フォルケホイスコーレの礎を築いた、「近代デンマークの父」グルントヴィの話は圧巻で、歌の歌詞をたくさん書き、民衆の中の歌のあり方を牽引してきたグルントヴィは、韻を踏んだ歌詞のリズムは上手なのにも関わらず、いざ歌となるとうまく音が取れず（つまりは音痴）、全く一緒について歌えなかったと聞き、本当に驚きました。これはつまり、音痴でも気に病まずに、歌の世界へ入ってこいよ、ということ。音楽家にとって、示唆の多い事実であり、福祉の世界でいう「ノーマライゼーションnormalization」と密接にかかわる深い意味を持っていると、考えさせられました。

（写真4は、コペンハーゲンから30分弱のところにある、 ルイジアナ現代美術館 のカフェ。海に面したロケーションは抜群で、難解な現代美術も、こんなところでゆっくりしていると、自分の感覚にしっくりなじんでくる気がする。）

Search for songs of soul and spirit in Denmark as the great nation of welfare Oct. 2014

Folkehøjskole means a private school for adult education which is said to be one of the most understandable symbols of Danish culture and society. People studying there have traditionally used each song book every day that has an important meaning as education, and I’ve been interested in its contents keenly from before visiting Denmark. Luckily enough, I got a chance to interview a person who played a key role in folkehøjskole society and had also been one of the supervised editors of højskole song books, Mr. E.Christiansen.

On his wishes, this interview was held by using Danish language with my interpreter, and he told me about various aspects of Denmark in a private lecture style, that is to say Danish as the folk who loves songs, the role of songs for Danish and its history, and present situation and vision for the future. His lecture continued for about two hours so passionately. At the end of his interview, he told me that he knew some foreigners who had interests in words of their song book, but he met the foreigner who focused attention on its music for the first time. In addition, records showed that there had been a foreigner who researched that kind of music around three hundred years ago, so I was the first person since then. I appreciate his compassionate response to our visit that gave me a supportive push.

Looking back at his lecture, I was so impressed by the episode of Grundtvig (1783～1882) who has been said to be the father of modern Denmark. He wrote a lot of words to music and led the way of Danish song society in common people, whereas he wrote excellent rhythmic rhymes in words, he couldn’t actually sing on key at all, so he hardly ever sang with others properly. This surprising fact means that the musically challenged can participate in singing without worrying about it there. This is also the thought-provoking thing for us as musician, which has deep meanings related to the "normalization" that is the distinctive principle of welfare in Denmark.

Den Gamle By(Old Town) Aarhus; Denmark 21/10/2013

Atelier for students at Egmont højskolen; Denmark 22/10/2013

The song book used at the folkehøjskole; Denmark 7/10/2014

The organ in the Grundtvig's church; Denmark 2/10/2014

On-the-ground research in Denmark (3)

--- --- ◆福祉大国デンマーク「魂の歌」を探して［2015］◆ --- --- （『ろここ通信』No.91 2016.4 より）

デンマーク発祥の地ともいわれる、ロスキレRoskilde の地は、コペンハーゲンが拓かれる前に、王族の拠点があった場所。先祖であるヴァイキングたちは、このロスキレ・フィヨルドの港から船を出して、様々な海を巡って商才を磨きながら、交易を広げました。ヴァイキング船を復元して、実際に係留している博物館もあるのですが、思いのほか小さな船もあって、ちょっとびっくり（写真1）。
ヴァイキングが伝え、持ち帰ったもののなかには、きっと各地の音楽も含まれていたはず。それらはきっと、大半が口伝えで、記憶に残ったものだけが生き残り、普通の庶民が口ずさんだり、職業的な音楽家たちのレパートリーになったりしながら、いつしかおなじみの歌になるのでしょう。デンマークの愛唱歌を調べていると、そんな先祖たちの、歌に対する活発な思いが伝わってくる気がします。陽気で歌の好きな民族といわれるデンマーク人の歌を訪ね始めると、はてしない時空の森に迷い込みそうになりますが、今回は歌の得意な精鋭グループである、国営ラジオ局が主宰する若い女性だけからなる合唱団 DR PigeKoret (←英語版ホームページにリンク) を取材。前回取材した、民衆のためのアマチュア合唱とは、ある意味対極にある世界は、実際のところどんな感じなのだろうと思い、コーディネーターTさんと共に、練習風景にお邪魔しました。
素直な発声で、本当に自然体で自分の声と向き合っている印象。しかるべき誇りをもって音楽に取り組んでいるのに、技術への力みは全く感じられず、歌の資質に恵まれた人たちが、自然に集まってきている感じ。この感じが、指揮者フィリップ・フェーバーさん（Phillip Faber）も大切にされているデンマークの「歌文化」かと、少し圧倒されていると、最後に私をピアノに座らせて全員で囲み、デンマークの「心の歌」投票で1位になった歌「デンマーク、わが祖国」 Danmark，mit fædreland（アンデルセンの歌詞。第二の国歌ともいわれる）を歓迎の気持ちで歌います、というので、小さく出だしを私がピアノで弾くと、「知っているのか！」と大喜び。彼女たちのア・カペラの演奏には、成人になる直前の声にしかない独特のピュアな色気があり、心のこもったサプライズに、思わず目の前が涙でかすんでしまいました（写真2：左端がフェーバー氏。）。

Search for songs of soul and spirit in Denmark as the great nation of welfare Oct. 2015

Roskilde is a small city, but has been thought of as a cradle of Denmark, because the home of royal family existed there before Copenhagen was opened up. Vikings as their ancestor sailed out from the port of Roskilde fjord, and toured around the seas exploiting their business talent, then became efficient traders gradually. We can see some restored ships of Viking moored to the bank at the area of Viking's museum, and it is amazing that many of their ships tend to be so small beyond expectation (photo1).
The souvenir of Vikings must include various indigenous music of the place where they were staying. In addition, most of them would be conveyed by mouth, and what had survived were the ones which people were impressed by and memorized. Those songs then became familiar to them sung by the common people or soaked up by professional musicians as their repertoire. I feel their dedicated attitude to such songs while I research Danish favorite songs by various materials. Danish people have been said to be cheerful and love to sing, but once I begin to make a searching study of their core songs, I feel like wandering about a forest of music and other culture that beyond time and space.
With that, accompanied by my coordinator Mr. T, I tried to visit the rehearsal of the elite choir DR PigeKoret (←click! ) of the young girls who were selected as being good at singing, which national radio station operates and has been popular among Danish people. As we before had an interview about amateur choirs for common people at former visit to Denmark, we imagined this kind of choir should be an extreme opposite of it. We were looking forward to attending their rehearsal actually.

At first I was impressed by their up-front tone of vocalism, they seemed to face their own voices so naturally. In spite of the fact that they worked on music with a sense of pride, they didn't overstrain themselves about their technique at all, and I fully understood that the well-qualified girls for singing gathered spontaneously. While I felt a little overwhelmed by such atmosphere, having remembered about Danish traditional culture of singing that Mr. Faber, the conductor of this choir, told us about in between rehearsals, he suddenly called me to the center piano. All members began to surround me sitting in front of the piano, and Mr. Faber told me that they were going to sing a welcome song for me "Danmark, mit fædreland (Denmark, my fatherland; words by H.C.Andersen, regarded as like a second anthem of Denmark)" that received first-place votes in balloting of the song of Danish heart held by national radio station. Of course I knew the song well as a Denmark fan, so I played the first phrase on the piano softly, because I couldn't control my urge then. As soon as I began to play, he turned to speak to me "You know it!" with a lot of pleasure. Their performance in a capella style involved a kind of distinctive feminine charms being pure and that would exist only in voices on the brink of adulthood. I was so touched by their cordial surprise that my eyes voluntarily blurred with tears. (photo2)

今までなかなか訪ねる機会のなかった、北欧文化発信地コペンハーゲンの「旬」の顔。今回はまず、それを肌で感じてみたくて、町の注目エリアを訪れてみました。海に近いクリスチャンハウン地区には、北欧発の食の革命の担い手として世界が注目するレストランnoma(ノマ)や、ヒッピーによる自治コミュニティー「クリスチャニア」があります。今や予約の最も取れないレストランnomaの外観は、意外にもちょっと和風なロックガーデンで飾られていてびっくり。
また、中央駅から広がる下町地区にあたるヴェスターブロは、コペンのソーホーと呼ばれる、アーティストが多く住む町(写真3)。北欧らしい趣味の良い雑貨やインテリアのセレクトショップが点在していて、堅実で質素なデンマーク人の気質の上に花開いた北欧デザインという図式が、その佇まいから感覚的につかめる気がします。何が本当に必要なのか、どう生きたいのか。百人百様のライフスタイルをがっちり受け止めて、サポートしてくれるような、この町にみなぎる独特の安堵感は、不思議ですらあります。
今回のメインは、デンマーク南西部ユトランド半島にある、デンマークで一番古い町 Ribe リーベ。中世の街並みを保存した旧市街は、アンデルセンの生地オーデンセにも似ていて、さらに「濃い」感じがします(写真4)。「デンマークを知りたいなら、絶対リーベに行って！」という、オーフスでお世話になったコーディネーターの一言が忘れられなくて、コペンハーゲンから電車を乗り継いて約3時間で到着。その日の夕方には、快晴で空気の澄んだ夕暮れにしか見られない「ブルー・モーメント」という、あたりが幻想的なブルーに染まる現象に遭遇し、まさに時空を超越した世界に迷い込んだよう。
リーベには、昔夜警がいたことで知られていて、今も観光用に夜警さんによる夜のガイドツアーがあります。お目当てはもちろん、町の警備や市民生活の諸々の役目を担っていた夜警が、石畳の町を巡回しながら夜な夜な歌った歌を、生で聴くこと。生活の必然と共にあり、人々の意識の奥深くに染みついていたであろうその歌。当時の町そのままの寸法と音の響きの中での夜警の歌は、少しもの悲しく、時にユーモラスで、波乱万丈の歴史をたくましくダイナミックに生き抜いてきたデンマークの人々の想いを語る夜警ガイドの口ぶりには、静かな自信と誇りがにじみ出ていました。
（夜警の歌を織り込んだ新作 ♪Blue Moment in Ribe を、2017年4月の主催公演で初演しました。）

Search for songs of soul and spirit in Denmark as the great nation of welfare Oct. 2016

Copenhagen has been the source of Northern European culture, having many places full of cutting-edge tastes. I wanted to feel them actually during my time in Copenhagen, because I had not have a chance to do so until then.

The Christianshavn district located near the sea was one of the hot places to visit, where the world famous restaurant “NOMA” had gained a reputation as the revolutionist of food culture from Denmark, and the Christiania zone had exerted a strong presence as a self- ruled area by hippies. NOMA has been known as the restaurant that was hard to make a reservation, but some tourists came to see its appearance that has a Japanese-inspired small rock garden which surprised me.(photo3)

In addition, the Vesterbro district located at the west side of the Central Station called Copen’s SOHO was the area with common touch where many artists came to live. Many fancy shops dotted the area, which sold interior goods, furniture, and sundry goods filled with Northern European refined taste, and I could intuited the scheme of the Scandinavian design that had flowered on Danish modest and down-to-earth nature from the atmosphere there. Diversity of living style, what they need or how they want to live, the face of this town could embrace, and the inherent sense of relief in this place I felt marvelously.

The feature of this visit was Ribe the oldest town in Denmark that located in the south-west part of Jutland peninsula. Ribe’s Old town where streetscape of the Middle-Ages was preserved resembled Odense the birthplace of H.C.Andersen and had denser and deeper impression.(photo4) “I would love you to visit Ribe if you have a real desire to know Denmark.” Those are the words my coordinator who helped my work in Aarhus remarked to me, that have remained in my heart, by which guided I got to Ribe taking trains for about 3 hours.

In the evening I arrived there, I got an unexpected chance to see the blue moment phenomenon found only in clear and unclouded twilight, that surroundings everywhere turned mystic blue taking me to another world beyond time and space.

Ribe is well known as the existence of night watch long ago, and tourists can enjoy the brief tour of night watch for sightseeing now. Night watchmen had worked for security and guarded people from various troubles, patrolling along cobbled streets while singing songs every night which attracted me a lot. The songs must have stayed present to the people’s everyday life and been ingrained into the innermost part of mind, I have always wanted to listen to them directly. In the same dimensions of the row of brick houses as medieval era which means the same resonance, night watchman’s songs echoed somehow plaintive but then a bit humorous. The guide of night watch told us Danish history being full of ups and downs, whereas Danish people had survived a crisis together and become hardy citizen; therefore I realized their calm confidence and a sense of pride from the way he talked about.
(New piece ♪Blue Moment in Ribe♪ more details → click here!)

Photo 1; Roskilde, Denmark 3/10/2015

Photo 2; Rehearsal of DR PigeKoret ; Copenhagen,Denmark 5/10/2015

Photo 3 Copenhagen; 3/10/2016

Photo 4 Ribe; 6/10/2016

on-the ground research in Denmark (4)

--- --- ◆福祉大国デンマーク「魂の歌」を探して［2017］◆ --- --- (『ろここ通信』No.95 2018.8 より)

デンマークの歌文化を訪ねる取材、今回はデンマーク人が個人の記念日に歌う「替え歌」がテーマ。Selskabs sang(セルスケーブス・サング)と呼ばれるこの歌は、きりのいい歳の誕生日や、結婚式などのプライベートな集まりの場で歌われます。例えばAさんの50歳の誕生日を祝う会なら、出席者全員が良く知っている歌いなれたメロディーに、Aさんのそれまでの人生の出来事を盛り込んだ歌詞をつけて、その場で皆で歌い、Aさんの生きてきた世界を分かち合うというもの。歌詞は当日渡され、前もっての練習はなく、上手な人によるデモ演奏などもなく、いきなり全員でぶっつけで歌うというスタイルです。この条件で、必ず全員が歌えて、歌の世界を理解できることが何よりも優先されます。音は少し外れてもいいけれど、とにかく全員が歌うのについてこられなければダメなので、テンポはゆっくり目。この、参加して唱和し歌の世界を分かち合うことに最大の価値があるというところが、とてもデンマーク的と言えます。つまり、自発的にコミットして、その世界を皆でシェアすることによって、会の主役をリスペクトするという精神です。うまく歌えることよりも、歌というツールでつながることの大切さというのか。

以前からこの歌に興味を持っていた私は今回、替え歌の歌詞作成を仕事として請け負っているコピーライターのラウ・イスホイ Lau Ishøjさん（写真 1）にお会いして（通訳入り）、お話を伺うことができました。大手日刊紙の記者をはじめフリーランスとして外国駐在歴も長くある、筋金入りのジャーナリストとして活躍されてきたイスホイさん。デンマーク的なちょっと塩気の効いたユーモアやアイロニーで味付けされたイスホイさんの歌詞は、いつも会を和ませ、とても評判がよく、口コミで引っ張りだこだといいます。綿密な事前のヒアリング取材を大切にするイスホイさんの態度は、ジャーナリストとしての信念と誇りに裏打ちされているものであり、誰もが持っている「自分をわかってほしい」という想いを絶妙なバランス感覚で実現させる技量は、深い人間愛に根を張り、また優れた音楽性もお持ちなのだと納得しました。
私的な場で歌われるものなので、実際の歌唱には立ち会えませんでしたが、またデンマークの奥深さを知ったと大感激していると、澄んだ青い目をまん丸くされて「なぜ遠い日本に住んでいるあなたが、このような歌に興味を示されたのですか？」と質問されました。デンマーク人にとっての「常識」に驚いた私。でも実はこれが、異文化に学ぶキモなのでしょう。
(写真2は、イスホイさんのお住まいのある、コペンハーゲンのベッドタウンTaastrup の家並み。)

Search for songs of soul and spirit in Denmark as the great nation of welfare Oct. 2017

At this year’s research for Danish song culture, we focused on the filksongs which Danish people had sung on their anniversaries. Selskabs sang (lejlighedssang) in Danish they sing on their special occasions at their private meeting like birthday party per decade, confirmation service, or wedding party. Let’s say Mr./Ms. A is going to hold his/her 50th birthday party, all members in attendance will sing filksong which tells his/her events or episodes on the popular melody they all know well, and they enjoy and respect the world of A’s life. The text is distributed on the day of the meeting, without rehearsal or demonstration by good singer, they begin to sing together cooperating each other. The most important priority is that the song is possible to sing for all members and understandable to them. If someone sing a little out of key, it won’t be a problem, but it’s necessary that all members can sing together without dropout. That’s why singing tempo is set slower than usual. It is abundantly Danish way that they assign great value to join and sing together and share the content of song; in other words, committing spontaneously and sharing song’s world by all of them, they value the main character of the event. It should be more important to be connected by songs than to be able to sing better.

Since I had always been interested in such songs, my interpreter Shige and I made a visit to a professional copywriter Mr. Lau Ishøj (Photo 1) who had made verses of Selskabs sang as his business. He had been active as a hard-core journalist working at a major daily newspaper company and had a long career of international correspondent as a freelance. Having peculiar Danish feeling of humor and irony that includes a little salty spice, his texts always clear the atmosphere of a party and have been appreciated by clients, then have come to be advertised by word of mouth. When he accepts the offer, he carefully interviews his client beforehand, and his way of making well-thought-out plan must be supported by his conviction and pride as a genuine journalist. As everyone expects to be understood accurately deep down inside, he satisfies such expectation with a fine sense of balance which should come from his deep human love and base on his supreme sense of music.

Though we could not join the ceremony with songs directly because of its privacy, just when I was impressed by the deepness of Danish culture again, he asked me “Why are you living in Japan far from Denmark interested in such kind of songs?” widening his clear blue eyes. Surprising at the common sense in Denmark that must correspond to the essential point of studying different culture.

--- --- ◆福祉大国デンマーク「魂の歌」を探して［2024］◆ --- --- NEW!!

長かったパンデミックを経て、5年ぶりにコペンハーゲンの空港に降り立った時、最初に感じた「デンマークの匂い」。ああ、帰ってこられた、と胸がいっぱいになりました。
2018年のクリスマスから実験的に始まり、少しずつ歩みを進めていたデンマークの作家とのコラボ企画は、予期せぬパンデミックを乗り越えて、作詞家のラウ・イスホイ Lau Ishøj さんとついに5年ぶりの再会。2017年にデンマーク独特の「替え歌文化」(上記参照)について取材をさせていただいたイスホイさん。その取材は、大手新聞社の記者を長く勤められ、ポルトガルやアジア各地での駐在経験も豊富なジャーナリストとしての氏の心意気にふれる機会となり、日本のジャーナリズムしか知らない私の認識は一変しました。欧州のトップクラスのジャーナリストとはこういうものかと、その志の高さに魅了された私は取材のあと、驚くことに、心の奥底に秘めていた願いを口にしてしまったのです。「私の音楽に歌詞をつけて頂けませんか」と。イスホイさんは、私がデンマークのかなりディープな部分である替え歌文化に関心を寄せたことにとても感激された様子で、私の思いに応えたいという気持ちを示されました。

音楽は「ニワトコの木の下で」という歌の曲(2011年)のメロディー部分です。これは亡き母が8年半お世話になった高齢者福祉団体の社歌として寄贈したもので、この施設がデンマーク福祉をモデルとしていたことが、デンマークとの出会いにつながったのです。デンマークの人間観・人生観に深く感銘を受けた私は、その音楽の姿を追い求め、デンマークとのハイブリッド作品を作ることで音楽家として恩返しができたらと、かねてからずっと心に抱いていました。詞ばかりでなく、音楽の部分も実はハイブリッドになっていて、デンマークでは忘れられた存在に近いL. シュッテの「ニワトコおばさん」というピアノ曲の一部を、歌のサビの部分に借用しています。本国での復活・再認識につながることを期待して、です。

コラボ企画は、いくつかの試作を経て、2022年に子守歌版の「甘い夢」が完成。そして今回、イスホイさんは新たに「クリスマス・ソング」という出来立ての歌詞を携えて、再会の場に現れてくださり、さすがは替え歌作家だなと思った次第です(写真3 イスホイさんの出来立ての歌詞と共に)。

思えば、最初は右も左も分からず、ただただ行ってみたい思いで訪れたデンマークでここまで来られたのは、2011年からお世話になっているデンマーク語通訳兼コーディネーターの田口繁夫さんのご尽力あってのことです(写真4 田口繁夫さん 2011年撮影)。最近はイスホイさんとは英語を使って直接やりとりをしていますが、田口さんにはほんの短い時間でも私たちと時間を共にして頂きたくて、今回もお会いして、パンデミック中の様子など伺うことができました。

アフター・コロナのデンマークの今後を楽しみにしながら、これからもご縁を育てて行ければと思っています。

Search for songs of soul and spirit in Denmark as the great nation of welfare Oct. 2024 NEW!!

After the long pandemic, when I stepped off the plane at Copenhagen Airport for the first time in five years, the first thing I sensed was the “scent of Denmark.” My heart swelled with the thought: I'm back.

The collaborative project with a Danish artist, which began experimentally at Christmas 2018 and progressed step by step, overcame an unexpected pandemic to finally reunite with lyricist Lau Ishøj after five years. Mr. Ishøj, whom I interviewed in 2017 about Denmark's unique “parody song culture” (see above). That interview provided an opportunity to witness the fine spirit of a journalist who had long served as a reporter for a major newspaper and possessed extensive experience stationed in Portugal and various parts of Asia. It completely transformed my understanding, which had been limited to Japanese journalism. After interviewing one of Europe's top journalists, I was captivated by their lofty aspirations. To my surprise, I found myself voicing a wish I had kept hidden deep within my heart.

“Would you be willing to write lyrics for my music?”

Mr. Ishøj seemed genuinely thrilled that I had taken an interest in Denmark's rather deep-rooted parody song culture, and he expressed a desire to reciprocate my enthusiasm.

The music is the melody from the song “Under the Elder-Tree” (2011). This was donated as the company song for the senior welfare organization where my late mother received care for eight and a half years. The fact that this facility modeled its approach on Danish welfare led to my encounter with Denmark. Deeply moved by the Danish perspective on humanity and life, I have long cherished the desire to pursue the essence of their music and create hybrid works with Denmark—hoping to return the favor as a musician through this endeavor. Not only the lyrics, but the musical elements are also hybrid in nature. A portion of L. Schütte's piano piece “The Elder-Tree Mother,” a work nearly forgotten in Denmark, has been borrowed for the song's chorus. This was done in the hope that it might lead to its revival and renewed recognition in its homeland.

After several prototypes, the collaboration project culminated in the completion of the lullaby version of “Drøm nu søde drømme/ Dream sweet dreams” in 2022. Then, this time, Mr. Ishøj graced our reunion with brand-new lyrics titled “Julesangen / The Christmas Song”—truly the work of a master parody songwriter (Photo 3: Mr. Ishøj with his freshly written lyrics).

Looking back, I came to Denmark knowing nothing at all, driven only by a desire to visit. That I've come this far is entirely thanks to the dedicated support of Mr. Shigeo Taguchi, my Danish interpreter and coordinator since 2011 (Photo 4: Mr. Shigeo Taguchi, 2011). Recently, I've been communicating directly with Mr. Ishøj in English, but I wanted Mr. Taguchi to spend even a little time with us. So we met again this time and were able to talk about how things have been during the pandemic.

Looking forward to Denmark's future in the post-COVID era, I hope we can continue to nurture our relationship.

Photo 1 Mr. Ishøj ; Taastrup, Denmark 6/10/2017

Photo 2 The culture center at Taastrup, Denmark 6/10/2017

Photo 3 Copenhagen, Denmark 5/10/2024

Photo 4 Copenhagen, Denmark 27/11/2011

My encounter with Denmark

In 2008 I came to know about Denmark especially its thought about welfare. At that time I was looking for a nursing home suitable for my family member, then I happened to meet a facility based on Danish welfare thought, which led me to the opportunity for visiting Denmark.
The more I study about Denmark, the better I was fascinated by its deep and mature thought. At first I didn’t understand how to relate it to my music as a musician, but gradually I wanted to know the root of their music because I have thought that music comes from people’s deep part of their heart.
In 2010 I released a piece of arrangement work “The Ugly Duckling” composed by Danish composer L.Schytte on Muramatsu Original Series Vol.44 ( Muramatsu Inc. ), which is my first work related to Denmark.
From 2011 I have visited Denmark once a year, researching Danish music and made a donation of my work (music booklets) related to Denmark to Danish various facilities.
I have asked my coordinator and interpreter (Danish language) Mr. Taguchi to arrange my interviews and translate there ensuring accurate communication.
From 2017 I started to introduce the thought of Danish welfare in order to adapt it to the idea of Japanese ordinary life by playing various original works partly quoted from Danish music so as to make like “hybrid” music at our concert.

I think that Danish thought of welfare is not only for disabled people or elder people but also for ordinary healthy people. If we all understand the way of thinking such as “normalization”, we would be able to live more fulfilling lives and avoid debasing ourselves. Now we have to face our aged society and live in the diversified set of values; however we can find the root of Danish mature thought in the tales of H.C.Andersen written about one hundred years ago.
Music must be born from people’s thoughts or feelings in their deep unconsciousness, therefore searching for songs of Danish heart, I believe to pursue our real happiness.

The "hybrid" music between Denmark and Nanase

Ayuko Nanase's works related to Denmark (Excerpts)

◆A Stork from Egypt (From “The Ugly Duckling”) [Nanase&L.Schytte] (Cl. Vc.)
The original tale is compared to H.C.Andersen’s autobiography. Though it has some scenes of fierce bullying, the beginning and ending of this story showcase beautiful and calm landscape in spring. A stork from Egypt so to say the immigrant begins to tell the world of Andersen rolling its beaks like a drum that is the prelude of Andersen’s stories.

◆Mermaid Fantasy (From “The Little Mermaid”) [Nanase&L.Schytte] (Vc. Pf.)
The little mermaid is known as a sad tale of a mermaid who could not be joined in marriage with her beloved human prince; however the story has been interpreted in various ways. At the last part of the story, the mermaid becomes a sylph and gets her start to obtain the eternal spirit that only human-beings can hold. It could be such fantasy that a heterogeneous couple composed of man and mermaid would be sublimated through the phase of her loving the prince; and cello’s gentle sound is suitable for it.

◆One-legged Lovers (From “The Steadfast Tin Soldier”) [Nanase&L.Schytte] (Cl. Vc. Pf.)
A one-legged soldier because of a lack of tin falls in love with a ballet dancer posing on one foot, as he sees that she has similar characteristics. The soldier having serious mind and much pride fell to channel water drifting between life and death in the riptide, then he heard a supernal song and the beloved dancer flashed across in his mind and his fate was declared by her. Chamber music contributes sophisticated mood to the most romantic scene of this story of the soldier’s crowded life. (The soldier reminds me of Danish temperament by which people have gradually gained their personality maturity in poor and hard circumstances.)

◆Blue Moment in Ribe (From “Når mørket Jorden blinder”) [Nanase&Danish traditional] (Cl. Vc. Pf.)
Blue moment is a phenomenon that can appear after sunset, filled with the mystic blue scenery. In Nordic area it can be seen sometimes in a long time related to the inclination of the sunlight. The old town of Ribe, the oldest city in Denmark, preserves the historical streetscape, and when it changes into blue moment, the world beyond time and space appears. Night watchman’s songs which had been with people in their hard times are going to be listened there soon.

◆The Elder-Tree Mother (Hyldemoer) [L.Schytte arr.by Nanase] (Cl. Pf.)
The original tale is a fantastical story that begins from a pot of elder-flower tea. The fairy of elder-tree leads an aged couple to the reminiscences of their lives, and that would increase awareness of importance of our memories which we can trace and talk about.

◆Little Ida’s Flowers (Den lille Idas Blomster) [L.Schytte arr.by Nanase] (Cl. Pf.)
This tale is said to be the first original fairy tale of Andersen. A girl named Ida grieved over her flowers withering, but she came to accept their death through the ball of dancing flowers in her fantasy.