３月４月は、別れと出会いの季節

　学生時代も、仕事に就いてた現役時代も卒業式が行われ、この３月～４月はで別れの季節であり、一方、新たな出会いの季節でした。この頃の別れは、いつかは暫くぶりに同窓会で再会したり、どこかでバッタリ会ったこともありました。出会いについては私の場合、職場の人事異動により、誠に素晴らしい人との出会いがあり、退職後においても、生涯の生き方を左右するほど彼らから受けた影響は今でも続いています。ところが、退職後に於いての別れとは永遠の別れを意味します。

　昨日は、地区の集まりである「生き生き健幸クラブ」で、今の時季に相応しく「仰げば尊し」を皆さん半世紀以上振りに懐かしそうに歌ってました。また、「母さんの歌」や「里の秋」を歌い、年数が経過しても忘れることのない母さん、父さんの歌詞にほろりと来て、しみじみと懐かしい昔を偲んでいるように見えました。こう考えると、この世はいつも別れの連続でもあると気づきます。しかし、この寂しさを救うことはあります。

　高齢期に至っても、いつになっても「新たな出会いが心を強く、心を豊かにしてくれ」、これによって生きる力が湧いてきてます。私も最近の新たな出会いで心強く生きられ、誠に感謝してます。

　今年度も今日を入れて後５日。この一年を振り返ると、ラジオ体操や倉賀野町を歩くウォーキングは続けられました。このため有難いことに、まずまずの健康で過ごせてます。しかし、運動に比べ、勉強の方はどうでしょう。ピアノも英単語の記憶もやっているだけで、それ程進歩は見えません。しかし、「継続は力なり」を信じて４月からも続けます。一方、植物の世話は十分にでき、ご覧の通り、開花という褒美をもらってる日々です。

Dear my friends who have experienced many farewells.

　During my student days and my working years, graduation ceremonies were held, making March and April a season of farewells, but also a season of new encounters. These farewells often led to reunions at class reunions or unexpected encounters here and there. In my case, workplace personnel changes led to truly wonderful encounters, and their influence continues to shape my life even after retirement. However, farewells after retirement signify eternal parting.

　Yesterday, at the "Lively Healthy Club," whici is a local gathering, everyone sang "Aogeba Toutoshi" which is a traditional Japanese graduation song for the first time in over half a century, a fitting song for this season of year. They also sang "Mother's Song" and "Autumn in the Village," which includes the lyrics about mothers and fathers. These songs remain unforgettable even now, and brought tears to many eyes, as they fondly reminisced about the past. Thinking about it, I realize that this world is a continuous series of farewells. However, there are ways to alleviate this loneliness.

　Even in old age, no matter how old we are, "new encounters strengthen and enrich our heart," and this gives us the strength to live. I, too, have recently been strengthened by new encounters with such as Ms. L and Ms. S, so I am truly grateful.

There are only five days left in this academic year, including today. Looking back on this academic year, I was able to continue with radio gymnastics and walking around Kuragano-town. Thanks to this, I've been able to maintain fairly good health.

　However, compared to these trainings, how about studying? I'm just doing piano and memorizing English new vocabularies, but I didn't see much progress. However, I believe that "Persistence pays off," therefore, I will continue from next April as well. On the other hand, I've been able to take good care of my plants, and as you can see, I'm being rewarded with the sight of them blooming every day.

日本の良さ・・・昔から歌い継がれる「良い歌がたくさんある」

　子供のときや職場で出会い、特に親しくして戴いてた思い出深い友人３人は既に天に召され、私にとって寂しい限りです。同様に、街中をウォーキングしても中学時代の同級生に再会することは殆どありません。おそらく多くは高齢者施設に入所してたり、あるいは入院してるのかもしれません。

　一方、日々、地区の会合で多くの方々と交流を深めてる私は、８０代～９０代でお元気な方々とも日々出会う機会があります。９４才の彼ら彼女らの特徴は今でも自転車に乗ってお使いをしたり、元気に歩いてたり、私とも何でも話されますが、最も大きな共通点は「気持ちが大らかである」ことです。笑い顔が印象的です。これは私にとって「今後の生き方として大いに見習うべき生活信条」と感じてます。声もはっきりし「肺が健康」なのでしょう。

　ところで、今までも各種集会に参加してましたが、今月から新たに、私の家の前の倉賀野町上４集会所「ふるさと」に於いて「生き生き健幸クラブ」が始まります。専門家の指導の下、いろいろの体操や、脳トレ、クイズとともに、みんなで懐メロなど歌う集会が始まります。どうしたことでしょう。私は電子ピアノによる歌の伴奏を依頼されてます。果たしてうまくできるでしょうか。

　これには、その歌の前奏も弾くことになっており、前奏を聴いて「何の歌であるか」答える脳トレも含まれるので前奏を効果的に弾かなくてはなりません。それにしても年を重ねてから全員で一緒に歌を歌うことほど楽しいことはありません。心が一つになり、併せて生きる基盤である呼吸が活発になり、その上、皆笑顔になります。私たちが日本に生まれた大きな喜びは、昔から歌いやすい「いい歌がたくさんある」ことです。一緒に楽しく歌いましょう。

Dear my friends who are crazy about the ideal pleasure as human and great music.

　The simultaneous interpretation into English for our mutual understanding will be done after my breakfast in Japan time.

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　I encountered during childhood and at work, three of my splendid friends who I became particularly close with, have passed away, so that I feel very sad still now. Similarly, when I walk around Kuragano -town, I rarely run into any of my Junior high school classmates. Most of them are probably in nursing homes or hospitalized. I guess.

　Meanwhile, as I interact with many people at local community meetings every day, I also have the opportunity to meet energetic elderly people in their 80s and 90s. These 94-year-olds still ride the bike to run errands, walk energetically, and talk to me about anything, but the biggest thing they have in common is "their generosity". Their smiling faces are striking. I feel this is their lifestyle philosophy I should emulate from now on. Their voices are clear, which probably means their lungs are healthy.

　By the way, I've been participating in various meetings so far, but starting this month, a new "Ikiki Kenko Club" that means Vigorous Healthy Club will be starting at the "Furusato" Community Center in Kurahano-town Kami-4th, right before my residence. Under the guidance of an expert, the gathering begins with various exercises, brain training exercises, quizzes, and everyone singing the old Japanese famous songs. What's going on? I've been asked to accompany a song by the electronic piano. I wonder if I can do it well?

　This also involves playing the intro of the song, which involves brain training, listening to the intro and trying to figure out and answer what song it is, so I have to play the intro effectively. Even so, there's nothing more enjoyable than singing song together as we get older. It unites our hearts, activates breathing which is the foundation of life, and, on top of that, it becomes a smile on everyone's faces. One of the great joys of being born in Japan is that there has always been a wealth of great songs that are easy to sing. Let's have fun singing together.

　

本日「のびのび健幸クラブ」開催

　今日の午後、私の家の前の上４集会所「ふるさと」で、「高齢者あんしんセンター倉賀野」主催による「のびのび健幸クラブ」が開かれます。指導者はあんしんセンターの若き女性職員２名です。最初に血圧測定を行い、その後、１５名程の会員全員でウォーミングアップとして、手足の筋力アップ、みんなの体操、鬼石体操が予定されてます。

　その後、今日も「脳トレの一環として」、よく知られている歌の前奏を聴いて、その曲名を当てるクイズがあります。その後、その歌を全員で歌います。このため、私にピアノで前奏を弾くよう依頼がありました。ですから、すでに３曲【英文には記述】を決めました。改めて、歌には前奏で有名な歌もあることを私は気づかされました。このため、作曲者はメロディーを作曲すると共に、その曲の前奏も工夫して作曲していることが分かります。

　ところで、ピアノで歌の伴奏をする場合大切なことは、声の高さに合わせた丁度良い調性を選ぶ必要があります。一見楽なハ長調ですが、どの曲もハ長調では高過ぎたり、低過ぎたりして歌えません。

　ところが、これを解決するため音楽の世界には実に素晴らしい方法があります。それは「１２の長調」と「１２の短調」が存在することです。この中から、その歌に丁度良い調性を選びます。ですから、皆さんが好きな歌や、昔からの鑑賞曲は必ずこの２４の調性のどれかに含まれてます。例えば、有名な「運命」はハ短調であったり、年末に歌われる「第九」はニ短調であったりします。

　今日、私は１曲目はイ短調で、後の２曲は変ロ長調が相応しいと決めて弾く予定です。ご存知の通り、ハ長調は白鍵のみで弾きますが、変ロ長調は３つ黒鍵が並んでる最も右の所を「ド」として右手で旋律を弾きます。不思議なことに、そうすると左手もそれに適した構えとなって主要三和音を中心にアルページョで伴奏が出来ます。私は殆どを即興でそれらしく弾くので、実はこの伴奏が私の「脳トレ」にもなります。では頑張ります。

Dear my friends who are crazy about nature, health and great music.

　The simultaneous interpretation into English for our mutual understanding will be done after my breakfast in Japan time.

......................................

　Today, as part of the "brain training", we will have a quiz where the members listen to the intro of a well-known Japanese song and guess the name of the song. After that, we will all sing the songs. For this reason, I was asked to play the intro on the piano. So I have already decided on three songs. Once again, I realized that some songs are famous for their intros. For this reason, we can see that composers compose the intros of songs in addition to composing the melody.

　By the way, when accompanying a song by the piano, it is important for us to choose a key that matches the pitch of the singer's voice. At first glance, C major seems easy, but all song can't be sung in C major because it is too high or too low.

　However, there is a truly wonderful way to solve this problem in the world of music. As you know, there are the existence of "12 major keys" and "12 minor keys". From these, we choose the key that is just suitable for the song. So, your favorite songs and old appreciation music are sure to be included in one of these 24 keys. For example, the famous "Beethoven's Fifth Symphony" is in C minor, while the "Ninth Symphony" by Beethoven is sung at the end of the year is in D minor.

　Today, I have already decided that the first piece "Aoisanmyaku" will be played in A minor, and the remaining two "Setono hanayome" and "Mikan no hanasaku oka" in B-flat major. As you know, C major is played using only white keys, but in B-flat major, the rightmost of the three black keys in a row is used as "Do" and the melody is played with the right hand. Strangely enough, this allows the left hand to be in a suitable position to accompany. Since I play most of the pieces by improvisation, this accompaniment is actually a form of "brain training" for me. Well, I'll do my best.