Between Sea and Sky: for guitar trio by David Loeb (plus photos of Japan)
Guitars: Bradford Werner, Douglas Hensley, Michael Dias
Composer: David Loeb
Venue: Alix Goolden Hall, Victoria; Japan, various locations
Photos of Japan by Bradford Werner.
Between Sea and Sky: describes a beautiful scene near Kyoto. When it was still the capital of Japan, emperors had beautiful villas constructed on the outskirts of the city. The Shugakuin villa comprises three small villas set amidst rice fields terraced along a slope at the foot of Kyoto’s highest mountain. The uppermost villa has a pond signifying the sea within a garden. To keep the water from disappearing down the slope, a dam was constructed, long since disguised by vegetation. A path with small trees runs along the top of the dam, and from low points along the other side of the pond one looks across and sees only a narrow strip of land between the pond and the sky. Of course we know the pond is not the sea, and that a large city lies just out of sight below the path, but as so often happens in art, the illusion creates a stronger impression than the reality. - David Loeb