Concert in COWRA

　私たちの旅路は、カウラので温かな大団円を迎えました。幕開けを飾ったシューベルトの「さすらい」は、未知なる道へ踏み出す青年のごとく、私たちの胸に秘めた決意の産声でした。続くピアノステージでは、湯山先生が自らマイクを握り、コールファーマーの伴奏を通じて得た驚きと、このカウラでピアノを奏でる無上の喜びを客席へと語りかけました。会場を見渡せば、ホストファミリーや幾度も足を運んでくださる馴染みの顔、顔、顔。ここは遠い異国でありながら、私たちがいつでも「帰るべき場所」なのです。

　魂を震わせるマオリソングや、喝采を浴びた讃美歌「How Great Thou Art」と、世界を巡るような心の旅を経て、ステージは日本の四季へと移ろいます。夏から厳しい冬を越え、辿り着いた終曲は「早春賦」。それは奇しくも、これから本格的な春の息吹を迎えようとするオーストラリアの柔らかな風と、美しく共鳴していました。
　アンコールは「さようなら」。素晴らしい時ほど、砂時計のように早く零れ落ちていくものです。別れを惜しむ旋律に、感極まって涙で声を詰まらせる団員の姿が、この旅がいかに濃密であったかを無言のうちに物語っていました。
　ひとつの演奏会が幕を開ける陰には、途方もない献身が存在します。どの街でも、まるで空気を吸うかのように当たり前に私たちの舞台を支え、奔走してくださった方々への深い感謝は、とうてい言葉では尽くせません。成功という名の光も、失敗という名の影も、すべてを血肉として得たラグビーで言うところの「１キャップ」。この誇らしい経験の勲章を胸に深く刻み込み、私たちはまた、次なる「さすらい」の旅へと歩みを進めます。（大石）

Our journey reached a warm and fitting conclusion in Cowra. We began with Schubert’s "The Wanderer"—a piece that, much like a young man stepping onto an unknown path, served as the first cry of the resolve we held in our hearts. During the piano segment, Yuyama-sensei took the microphone to share his experiences—the surprises encountered while collaborating with accompanist Cole Farmer, and the incomparable joy of playing the piano here in Cowra. Looking out at the audience, we saw our host families and many familiar faces—people who have returned to see us time and again. Though this is a distant, foreign land, it has become a place we can always call "home."

The performance took us on a global journey, featuring soul-stirring Māori songs and a stirring rendition of the hymn "How Great Thou Art," before transitioning into the four seasons of Japan. Moving from summer through a harsh winter, we arrived at our final piece, "Soshunfu" (An Ode to Early Spring). By a stroke of serendipity, the music resonated beautifully with the gentle Australian breeze, which was itself on the cusp of a true, vibrant spring.

For our encore, we sang "Sayonara" (Goodbye). The most wonderful moments, it seems, slip away all too quickly—much like sand through an hourglass. As the melody—tinged with the reluctance of parting—filled the air, some of our members were overcome with emotion, their voices catching with tears; this, in itself, spoke volumes about the profound depth of our journey.

Behind the curtain of every concert lies an immense amount of dedication. In every town we visited, people worked tirelessly to support our performances—doing so as naturally as one breathes—and our gratitude for them goes far beyond what words can express. Whether it brought the light of success or the shadow of failure, every experience has become a part of who we are—much like earning a "cap" in rugby, a testament to the journey we have lived. With this proud experience—a badge of honor—deeply etched in our hearts, we set forth once again on our next journey of wandering. (Oishi)

悲しみを越えて紡がれる絆 Bonds forged beyond sorrow

　私はカウラで長年マリオン・スターさんのお宅にホームステイをさせていただいていました。現在は彼女の遺志を引き継いだ三姉妹の皆さんにお世話になっています。マリオンさんは、かつてこの地で起きた「カウラ事件」で、ご自身の身近で大切な方を亡くされるという、深く悲しい過去をお持ちでした。しかし、その絶望や痛みの中で決して心を閉ざしたり憎んだりするのではなく、「日本人と親しく交流することこそが、この悲しみを乗り越える道である」という、広く気高いお考えで、私たち日本人と向き合ってくださいました。その崇高な想いと深い慈愛は娘さんたちに引き継がれ、私たちをまるで本当の家族のように、あたたかい笑顔で迎え入れてくださっています。彼女たちの細やかな心遣いに触れるたび、私は胸が熱くなるのを禁じ得ません。深い悲哀の歴史を越えて、真っ直ぐに差し出されたこの尊い両手に、私たちは何をお返しできるでしょうか。それはきっと、言葉や国境を越えた友情と、祈りを込めて、私たちのハーモニーをこのカウラの澄んだ空へ誠実に響かせることなのだと思います。　（吉田）

For many years, I stayed with Marion Star as a homestay guest. Today, I am looked after by her three daughters, who carry on her legacy. Marion herself bore a profound, sorrowful history: she lost someone very dear to her in the "Cowra Incident"—a tragic event that once took place in this very area. Yet, even amidst such despair and pain, she never closed her heart or gave in to hatred. Instead, she embraced us Japanese with a broad, noble perspective—believing that fostering close, friendly ties with the Japanese people was the true path to overcoming this grief. This noble spirit and deep, compassionate love have been passed on to her daughters, who welcome us with warm smiles, treating us as if we were their own family. Each time I experience their thoughtful kindness, I am deeply moved. How can we ever repay this precious, outstretched hand—offered across a history of profound sorrow? I believe the answer lies in a friendship that transcends language and national borders, and in the heartfelt prayers we offer as we let our harmony resonate, with sincerity, into the clear skies of Cowra. (Shimpei)

懐かしき我が家 My dear old home

 

　演奏旅行の出発を間近に控えた頃、長年お世話になっていたマーガレットさんが、一足早く空へ還られたご主人のジョンさんのもとへ、静かに旅立たれたと報せを受けました。1977年の第1回訪問からCFを迎えてくださり、私は2004年からお世話になってきました。広大な羊牧場の中で暮らすお二人の優しい笑顔に接するたび、「カウラに帰ってきた」と実感したものです。最近はご高齢のためホームステイは控えていましたが、今回もまたあの温かな笑顔に再会できると信じて疑っていませんでした。
　今、お二人は愛した牧場の風や大地と一つになって穏やかな時間を過ごされていると伺いました。思い出の白い家の前に立ち、久しぶりに見るその景色に、懐かしさと、もう直接お声を聞けない寂しさが込み上げ、ただ心からの感謝を伝えてきました。見晴らしの良い場所から微笑んでくれているであろうお二人と、これまで支えてくださった全ての方々へ想いを馳せ、深い感謝を込めて歌声を響かせたいと思います。（三瓶）

Just as I was preparing to depart for my concert tour, I received word that Margaret—who had looked after me for so many years—had quietly passed away, joining her husband, John, who had preceded her. Margaret and John had welcomed the Cowra Fellowship (CF) since its first visit in 1977, and I have been under their kind care since 2004. Whenever I was greeted by their gentle smiles at their home on their vast sheep farm, I truly felt as though I had "returned to Cowra." Although they had stopped hosting guests in recent years due to their advancing age, I had never doubted that I would see those warm, familiar smiles once again.

I have been told that they are now at peace, having become one with the wind and the earth of the farm they loved so dearly. Standing before the white house that holds so many memories, I was overcome by a sense of nostalgia—and a deep, aching sadness knowing I would no longer hear their voices in person. I offered them my heartfelt gratitude. As I sing, my thoughts will be with them—surely smiling down from some vantage point—and with everyone who has supported us over the years. I wish to pour my deepest appreciation into my performance. (Akihiro)

縁の下の力持ち The unsung hero

　演奏会当日、まだ誰もいない静寂に包まれたホールへ誰よりも早く足を踏み入れるのが、団員の大石です。目的は、ピアノに命を吹き込む「調律」のため。いかなる環境下であろうと、妥協なき至高の響きをお届けしたい——その熱き矜持が、彼を突き動かしています。そして、この孤独でひたむきな舞台裏の作業を目にするにつけ、私たちの脳裏に浮かぶのは、指揮者の升本弘先生の背中です。以前は先生ご自身が、この重責を一身に担ってくださっていました。タクトを振るだけでなく、自らの手で音の土台から築き上げてくださっていたその途方もない労力と、私たちへ向けられていた深い愛情。時を経た今だからこそ、その見えない献身の重さがひしひしと胸に迫り、ただただ尽きせぬ感謝の念が込み上げてくるのです。（吉田）

On the day of a concert, Oishi—a member of our ensemble—is always the first to arrive, stepping into a hall still wrapped in profound silence. His mission: to tune the piano and breathe life into the instrument. Driven by an unyielding professional pride, he is committed to delivering a superlative sound, regardless of the environment. Witnessing this solitary, devoted work behind the scenes, our thoughts inevitably turn to our conductor, Hiroshi Masumoto. In the past, he shouldered this heavy responsibility entirely on his own. Beyond wielding the baton, he personally laid the very foundation of our sound—a task requiring immense, painstaking effort, born from a deep and abiding love for us. Looking back now, the true weight of that unseen dedication strikes us with newfound force, filling our hearts with an endless sense of gratitude. (Shimpei)

日本人戦没者墓地 The Cowra Japanese War Cemetery

　オーストラリアのニューサウスウェールズ州にある「カウラ日本人墓地」は、1944年に捕虜収容所で起きた史上最大規模の脱走劇『カウラ事件』の犠牲者を中心に、大戦中に同国で亡くなった520名以上の日本人が眠るオーストラリア唯一の公式な日本人戦没者墓地です。墓地の整備や日豪の和解に尽力した当時のカウラ市長、故A.J.オリバー氏ら市民の方々の温かい献身によって、現在ではかつて敵国同士だった両国を結ぶ平和と友好の象徴として美しく維持されています。オーストラリア兵と捕虜であった日本人が隣り合う敷地に祀られていることは真の和解の証と感じます。（吉田）

The Cowra Japanese War Cemetery in New South Wales, Australia, is the only official Japanese war cemetery in the country. It serves as the final resting place for over 520 Japanese individuals who died in Australia during the war—most notably those who perished during the "Cowra Breakout" of 1944, the largest-scale escape attempt from a prisoner-of-war camp in history. Thanks to the heartfelt dedication of local residents—including the late A.J. Oliver, who served as the mayor of Cowra at the time and worked tirelessly toward the site’s development and the cause of Japan-Australia reconciliation—the cemetery is now beautifully maintained as a symbol of peace and friendship between two nations that were once enemies. The fact that Australian soldiers and the Japanese prisoners of war are laid to rest on adjacent grounds stands as a testament to true reconciliation. (Shimpei)

Our hometown !

　アデレードの空からキャンベラへ舞い降り、車窓の景色に過ぎ去りし日々の面影を探しながら、バスで揺られること二時間。終着の地、カウラへと辿り着きました。 私たちの音楽の旅の原点は、1977年のこの街の空気にあります。あの日から今日まで変わらぬ眼差しで見守り続けてくれる方々。そして、時代が変わってもなお、新しい世代へと受け継がれる深い愛情。降り立った私たちを待っていたのは、言葉よりも雄弁な、たくさんの温かい笑顔でした。 旅の終わりは、始まりの場所へ。ここは私たちが心から安らげる、かけがえのないホームタウンです。 明日は、この街がくれたすべての奇跡に溢れんばかりの感謝と万感を込め、全身全霊のコンサートをお届けします。（吉田）

After arriving in Canberra from Adelaide, we spent two hours on a bus, watching the scenery pass by and searching for traces of days gone by, until we finally reached our destination: Cowra. The origins of our musical journey are rooted in the very atmosphere of this town, dating back to 1977. There are those who have watched over us with an unchanging gaze from that day to this—and a profound affection that, despite the passing of time, has been passed down to new generations. Upon our arrival, we were greeted by a multitude of warm smiles—smiles that spoke far more eloquently than any words could. Our journey has come full circle, returning to where it all began. This is our irreplaceable hometown—a place where we can truly find peace of mind. Tomorrow, we will pour our entire being into a concert, filled with an overflowing sense of gratitude for all the miracles this town has bestowed upon us. (Shimpei)

A Special Gift

　別れの朝。冷え込む空気のなか、ロベサルの方々が私たちに届けてくださったのは、思いがけないほど素敵な贈り物でした。二つの合唱団の絆を示すエンブレムが刺繍されたマフラー。寒さに縮こまっていた首元へそれを巻いた瞬間、不思議と全身がじんわりと温められるような気がしました。それはマフラーそのものの温かさだけでなく、メンバーの皆さん真心が伝わってきたからだと思います。
　半円状に並ぶ私たちの元へ、ロベサルの皆さんが一人ひとり歩み寄り、両手でしっかりと力強い握手を交わしてくれました。交わす言葉は互いに流暢ではありません。けれど、「ありがとう」「どうかお元気で」「また必ず会いましょう」という心からの思いは、言葉の壁を越えて痛いほど伝わってきました。声の大きさや言葉の流暢さに関わらず、表情や手の温もりを通して確かに心がつながり合った、かけがえのない時間でした。（斎藤）

On the morning of our departure, amidst the biting cold, our friends from　Lobethal presented us with a truly wonderful and unexpected gift: scarves, each carefully embroidered with an emblem symbolizing the bond between our two choirs. As I wrapped one around my neck—where the cold had made me shiver—I felt a gentle, spreading warmth throughout my entire body. It was not merely the warmth of the scarf itself, but the sincere, heartfelt affection from them that reached me.

The members of Lobethal approached us one by one as we stood in a semicircle, offering firm, strong handshakes with both hands. Though neither side was fluent in the other’s language, the sentiments—"Thank you," "Take good care," and "We will surely meet again"—transcended the language barrier, resonating deeply. Regardless of the volume of our voices or our linguistic fluency, it was an irreplaceable moment where our hearts truly connected through our expressions and the warmth of our hands. (Satoshi)