“A “hope” is too weak, and “a pray” is not enough; how many winters must pass for such unasked cultural activities to take a root in the city of Toyohashi.”

• 

Music critic, Hiroharu Nishimura commented on Morishita’s activities as follows.

“I believe Toyohashi Symphony Orchestra is able to give an answer to modern local culture. It is a pure form of intellectual nourishment cultivated by their own power raised from a state of no tradition. Such nourishment is rarely seen in Japan. It is not necessarily an ability or a financial power that enablessuch nourishment, but philosophy andpassion. Being servility to careerism and economic growth, we Japanese tend to abandon our own philosophy and passion to create something new by ourselves. However, such philosophy and passion are both alive as orchestra music in the city of Toyohashi. I would like to listen and feel their heartbeat with my own ears.”

• 

• 

“I am one of those who dream the day that an orchestra is born in the city of Toyohashi. I am on my way to the humble music room with the hope that my fellow students will one day grow up and make my dream a reality.”
It has been 50 years since Motoyasu Morishita wrote his dream story as above and since then, Morishita welcomed many characters in his story and expanded along the way. He founded NPO-WFAO and dreamed a “World Symphony” from Asia; unfortunately, this became his last writing. There were still many ideas to overflow. It was only a half way through…

Finally, we would like to introduce a poem written by Morishita when he was 48 years old. From the poem, we can hear his powerful voice, “Let’s move on together.” We shall keep writingthe continuation of the story wider and deeper than ever.

Not only hard things
Yet not only joyful things
Devoting ourselves solely to climbingup to this day
Doubting and sometimes questioning what we do,
It is now a nostalgic memory that glimmers of desultory
Caused small winds here and there.
What is necessary to take a new journey
To overlook beyond the horizon
The first step is about to be taken again

• 

• 

Chausson: Poeme for Violin and Orchestra
Shigeru Matsumoto, Violin
Motoyasu Morishita, Conductor
43th Regular Concert of “Toyohashi Symphony Orchestra”
(October 9, 1988)

The last chapter of “Performance Series” concludes with the performance of Shigeru Matsumoto, who has brought up many violinists and violists of Toyohashi Symphony Orchestra.
Morishita wrote as follows in the program.

I have come to fully understand Chausson’s “Poeme” because of the encounter with the dignified master, Shigeru Matsumoto. It is easy to spell out dignity, nobility, and sublime, but you cannot obtain thesequalities by wealth or even power. In this less than 20 minutesmusic, I feel the flashing passion, the quiet prayer, and kindness and deep poetic life. Yes, this “Poeme”is indeed a rapid succession of a life. Blissful harmony in majoris played in pianissimo towards the end as the life is about to end in darkness and tranquility.

This performance is full of mutual trust and friendship of between the two people who created Toyohashi Symphony Orchestra together.