From the recording Starry Starry–Celestial Music from the Heart
Jasmine Nights:3
'Kōjō no Tsuki” (The Moon over the Ruined Castle) by Rentarō Taki (1879-1903) / Itsuki Lullaby/ Takeda Lullaby (Japanese).
My world travels have taken me to Japan many times. While busking, playing Appalachian music, I became friends with Japanese who were developing an interest in hammered dulcimer. Despite the dulcimer’s spread round the world north of the equator, it never developed in Japan. On two separate trips, I left in Japan Chinese yang qins that I had bought in a department store in Hong Kong. On returning for a tour in 2013, I was amazed and delighted to teach and play with dozens of dulcimer players, some inspired by meeting me long ago! Itsuki no Komoriuta (lullaby) is from the southern island of Kyūshū. My friend Mutsumi Hagiiwa (a famous manga artist and dulcimer player) suggested the other two. The two lullabies in this medley both have poor, unhappy protagonists who are nannies to rich people, making one think that the concept of a lullaby in Japan might be quite different than in the west (where we sing about things like babies falling from trees, broken gifts and wreaking havoc)!