PROGRAM NOTES たぶん “Tabun” (Japanese for “Maybe”), YOASOBI A song by Japanese duo YOASOBI, consisting of Ayase and Ikura, from their debut extended play, The Book (2021). It was released on July 20, 2020, through Sony Music Entertainment Japan. The song was based on the YOASOBI Contest Vol. 1-winning novel of the same name by Shinano. This song depicts a couple breaking up in the morning. It also accompanied the movie, Tabun, based on the same novel. The English version of the song, titled "Haven't" was included on the duo's first English-language EP E-Side, released on November 12, 2021. いのちの名前 “Inochi no Namae” (Japanese for “The Name of Life”), Joe Hisaishi (b. 1950) The music for Studio Ghibli's 2001 Japanese animated fantasy film Spirited Away directed by Hayao Miyazaki, features a score composed by Joe Hisaishi and performed by the New Japan Philharmonic symphony orchestra. Hisashi received critical acclaim and numerous accolades for his work in the film. An original soundtrack that contains 20 tracks from the film score and one song was released in July 2001, whereas an image album that had five songs and five instrumentals, released three months before, in April 2001. Both of them were re-issued on a double disc vinyl LP in 2020.
Concerto Grosso, Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) Concerto Grosso is a work for string orchestra by Ralph Vaughan Williams. Originally composed in 1950 for a performance by the Rural Schools Music Association conducted by Sir Adrian Boult, the piece is unique in that the orchestra is split into three sections based on skill: Concertino (Advanced), Tutti (Intermediate), and Ad Lib (Novice) which only plays open strings.
Breath, Breaking Benjamin A song by American rock band Breaking Benjamin. It was released in January 2007 as the second single from their third album, Phobia. It was the band's fourth charted song on the US Hot 100 overall, and the second from Phobia. Although "Breath" failed to capture the pop success of "The Diary of Jane" at No. 50 where "Breath" hit No. 84 on the Billboard Hot 100, it was more successful on the rock charts where it hit No. 1 on the US Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, making it Breaking Benjamin's first number-one hit, staying there for seven weeks where "The Diary of Jane" hit No. 2 and it also hit No. 3 on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart, tying with "So Cold" as their highest-charting single on the chart where "The Diary of Jane" hit No. 4. The single was certified double platinum by the RIAA in August 24, 2022.
Crush, Polyphia Polyphia, consisting of guitarists Tim Henson and Scott LePage, bassist Clay Gober, and drummer Clay Aeschliman, is a primarily instrumental progressive rock band based in Plano, Texas, formed in 2010. Renaissance was an album released in March of 2016 that was basically the result of combining progressive rock with jazz, R&B (rhythm and blues), and EDM (Electronic Dance Music), creating something truly original in itself. The band began releasing a few music videos for some of the tracks off the record, before it’s release. These included “Euphoria”, “Crush”, and “Nightmare”.
Fly Me to the Moon, Frank Sinatra (1915-1998) Frank Sinatra included “Fly Me to the Moon” on his 1964 album It Might as Well Be Swing, accompanied by Count Basie. The music for this album was arranged by Quincy Jones, who had worked with Count Basie a year earlier on the album This Time by Basie, which also included a version of "Fly Me to the Moon". Will Friedwald commented that "Jones boosted the tempo and put it into an even four/four" for Basie's version, but "when Sinatra decided to address it with the Basie/Jones combination they recharged it into a straight swinger... [which]... all but explodes with energy". Bart Howard estimated that by the time Frank Sinatra covered the song in 1964, more than 100 other versions had been recorded.