平松久司先生を偲ぶ

I was privileged and honored to have been present in the audience that evening, my wife and I being a host family. That performance will be with us always. His compassion and warmth was a treasure he bestowed on everyone. He was a genius and those that were honored to play under his direction, or to be present at any of his concerts will always remember this great man. 

I came upon Kyoto Tachibana SHS Band about 5 years ago. Immediately impressed with their talent and abilities. Reading about them in the unofficial fan blog , I learned about Prof Hiramatsu and his concepts for this band. To hold onto those ideas and put them into practice has been a blessing to Japan and the world. He will always live on in the music, dancing and smiles of the young women and men who have performed in orange and black. 

It has been a year since Professor Hiramatsu passed away, and we in the Green Band are keenly aware of how much we have lost. Hiramatsu-sensei conducted "With Pride and Prayer in My Herat" at the Green Band Festival: Benefit Concert held at Kennedy High School in the United States during Kyoto Tachibana High School's Rose Parade expedition in 2018. I was one of the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake, and I worked very hard to write this piece in the affected area immediately after the disaster. The Kyoto Tachibana High School students performed it with all their hearts. And it was conducted by Hiramatsu-sensei with that wonderful smile. It was a really great performance. I am still feeling the magnitude of what we have lost, not only to the disaster, but also to Hiramatsu-sensei. We have lost a great presence in our lives in Hiramatsu-sensei, and we hope that he will continue to watch over the Green Band from heaven, and we would like to present this song to many viewers once again. We look forward to Hiramatsu-sensei continued support of our future green band .

京都橘高校吹奏楽部に大きく貢献された事は素晴らしいですね。生徒さん達への指導も立派だったと思います。今の橘高校吹奏楽部が有るのは、平松先生のご尽力が大きいと思います。また、その意思を引き継いで頑張った、田中先生も素晴らしいと思います。「元気いっぱい、笑顔いっぱい、夢いっぱい」。これからも、この スローガンを胸に、残された方々は頑張ってください。そして、平松先生のご冥福をお祈りします。

I have been privileged to have listened to and watched the happiness of the Kyoto Tachibana High School Bands many times. I have always been very emotional about how Japan suffered and overcame many serious tragedies and my admiration of how the surviving youngsters in all of their school bands overcame their losses and Tachibana in particular have achieved eternal greatness under the wonderful expertise of Professor Hiramatsu who created a new style of musicianship for the world to appreciate. I was amazed by the joint parade performance with Tachibana and The Japan Green Band at the Roses procession only a few days before Professor Hiramatsu passed away. So on the very sad occasion of this memorial video performance, I share with everyone concerned their sadness and of course offer my deepest sympathy and support and wish you all peace.

このシーンは涙なくては見れません…「祈り、そして誇りを胸に」名曲です 平松先生ありがとうございました ご冥福をお祈りします。

コロナ渦の時に京都橘の動画を見つけ、どん底だった私の人生が変わりました。今こうして生きていられてるのも、京都橘吹奏楽部のおかげだと思ってます。その意味で、平松先生は私の命の恩人であるとも言えます。いつも穏やかで、笑顔を絶やさず、そこにいるだけで周りを和ませる素敵な方でした。この平松先生指揮による「祈り、そして誇りを胸に」の演奏シーンはいつ見ても涙が溢れて来ます。私の人生を救ってくれた平松先生と京都橘吹奏楽部の皆さんに、心からの感謝を申し上げたいと思います。いつまでも天国で見守っていて下さい。改めてご冥福をお祈り致します。

Please excuse my ignorance, but was some of the music played in this tribute composed by Sir Edward Elgar? It is certainly in his style of music. By coincidence this morning, 18th March 2022, I passed the Elgar statue of memorial in my home City of Worcester, England and near it is temporarily an exhibition of the Knife Angel which was made of 10,000 knives confiscated by the police after knife attacks and murders. It is 8.2296 meters high and weighs three and a half tons. Remembering that Japan was attacked by nuclear bombs, I am hoping that this Tachibana tribute coinciding with my viewing of the two statues is a sign of hope for peace following the Ukraine war and that it does not develop into a full nuclear war. Thank you again Professor Hiramatsu and Tachibana for your wonderful music.

平松先生は、私にとっては父のような存在であり、日米グリーンバンド協会の名誉会長の職に就任頂いてからも、約２０年間一度も報酬を求められたことはありませんでした。本当に誠実で慈悲深く、思いやりにあふれた人格者であられました。 本当に偉大な恩人を失い、失意のどん底に落とされましたが、このように平松先生の動画を観るときに私も勇気づけられ、前進する力をいただけます。平松先生に心からの感謝と追悼の意を申し上げたいと思います。