The music club concert band at Konko Gakuen Junior and Senior High School, a private combined junior and senior high school in Konko Town, Asakuchi City, marked its 100th anniversary in 2019 (Reiwa 1).
The Konko Gakuen Music Club Concert Band has a history of performing overseas, and its regular concert reached its 50th milestone.
For the commemorative concert, the alumni concert band, Konko Wind Ensemble, and other volunteer graduates will also join in to look back on its 100-year history.
Here we introduce preparations for the commemorative concert and the thoughts behind it.
The information presented was current when this article was published in March 2023. Please note that it may differ from current information.
A 100-year history of the Konko Gakuen Music Club Concert Band
The Konko Gakuen Music Club Concert Band website chronicles the club's journey from its founding to the present day.
A hundred years is a century.
Let's look back on a century of history as a concert band.
Founding
The concert band began in 1919 (Taisho 8) with six members at the time.
The band, formed for the school's athletic meet, was invited to perform at elementary schools and for the Konkokyo Youth Association.
The first club director, Matsui Tamekichiro, reportedly recalled the club's early days as follows.
I remember that the school authorities provided the instruments. At the time, there were no music classes in junior high school, and therefore no specialist teacher. We were a group of complete amateurs, able to play only a few elementary school songs besides “Kimigayo.” Even so, we made our first appearance at the autumn sports day, playing a single fast-paced piece for the competitions over and over from morning until night.
From “The Club's History,” Konko Gakuen Music Club Concert Band website
From postwar activities to a turning point
There were periods when the band could not perform because of the war, but activities resumed soon after the war.
With 15 members playing old instruments left on campus, the band expanded its activities beyond local elementary schools, energetically taking its performances to Korakuen Garden and expositions.
In 1949 (Showa 24), the first postwar National Boy Scout Rally was held in the plaza in front of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.
At this event, the ban on brass band parades with the national flag raised, which had been in place for many years after the war, was lifted. The brass band of the Konko Gakuen Music Club Concert Band led the first official postwar parade, featuring a total of 3,600 people and stretching 1,200 meters.
In the 1950s, the band acquired a wider range and greater number of instruments, and its activities became more vigorous and polished, including participation in competitions.
In 1973 (Showa 48), regular concerts became the band's main activity.
Records from the time describe discussions about holding regular concerts following a proposal from Sato Masatoshi, who had become the band's advisor.
100 years since its founding
In 2007 (Heisei 19), Sonoda Yasuyuki became the band's advisor.
The band grew to more than 100 members and made its first-ever concert band performance in the United States.
It was an era when years of effort led to a major leap forward, and also a milestone era in which the band marked its 100th anniversary in 2019 (Reiwa 1).
At the same time, it marked the beginning of a difficult period in which performances were postponed or canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which began spreading in early 2020 (Reiwa 2).
Even in difficult circumstances, the Music Club Concert Band continued its journey, exploring new concert formats and evolving its performances.
With support from the school, including its advisor, and the enthusiasm of each band member, the 50th regular concert was held in May 2022 (Reiwa 4).
The commemorative concert, which had to be postponed just before it was due to be held in March 2019 (Reiwa 1), is now being steadily prepared for its upcoming performance.
An introduction to its main activities to date
What kinds of activities have been passed down through its long history?
Here we introduce some of its main activities to date.
Regular concerts
One of the band's main activities is its regular concert.
The first regular concert was held at Tamashima Community Center on September 15, 1973 (Showa 48).
Unlike the competitions that had been its main activity until then, this event was intended to let people enjoy the music of the Konko Gakuen Music Club Concert Band.
Everything, from choosing the venue to making signs and flyers, was handmade from the very beginning.
Through trial and error, the concert was passed down to the next generation and has now grown into a major, large-scale event.
Supported and cherished not only by current band members but also by graduates and many others, the concert continues to be loved.
Overseas performances
The Konko Gakuen Music Club Concert Band's overseas achievements are an essential part of its history.
| Year | Activity |
|---|---|
| 1985 (Showa 60) | Participated in the 3rd Japan-China Youth and Student Exchange Conference (Beijing and Shanghai) |
| 1990 (Heisei 2) | First Japan-Australia Youth and Student Exchange Conference (Melbourne and Sydney) |
| 1995 (Heisei 7) | Japan-Korea goodwill performance tour (Seoul, Daegu, and Busan) |
| 1996 (Heisei 8) | High School Wind Band Federation performance tour of Australia (Adelaide) |
| 1999 (Heisei 11) | Visited China for the First Xi'an International Music Festival (Xi'an and Shanghai) |
| 2002 (Heisei 14) | Participated in the 30th Anniversary of the Normalization of Japan-China Relations event (Beijing) |
| 2006 (Heisei 18) | Participated as Japan's representative in the 14th Japan-China Youth and Student Exchange Meeting (Beijing) |
| 2010 (Heisei 22) | Performance tour of South Korea |
| 2015 (Heisei 27) | Performance tour of South Korea |
| 2017 (Heisei 29) | Performance tour of the United States (July 21–30) |
The band's advisor, Sonoda Yasuyuki, says he had long wanted to give the members the experience of the home of show business.
That desire led to the band's first performances in the United States in 2017 (Heisei 29).
In addition to regular concerts and overseas performances, the band maintains close ties with the local community and actively takes part in many visiting performances and community concerts.
Through these many activities, members can surely gain experiences that go beyond simply improving their musical performance.
I felt that the educational philosophy of Konko Gakuen Junior and Senior High School—“education of the whole person, grounded in education of the heart”—is truly being put into practice.
The commemorative concert may be an opportunity to bring together and express what has been passed down for so long.
Looking back on the band's activities to date, we spoke about preparations and their thoughts on the commemorative concert with Sonoda Yasuyuki, advisor to the Konko Gakuen Music Club Concert Band, and Fujii Kazuo, president of its alumni association.
Konko Gakuen Music Club Concert Band 100th Anniversary Concert Information
| Name | Konko Gakuen Music Club Concert Band 100th Anniversary Concert |
|---|---|
| Date | Sunday, March 26, 2023 (Reiwa 5) Doors open: 1:30 p.m. Concert begins: 2:00 p.m. ※Please refrain from contacting the Geibunkan directly about the commemorative concert. |
| Location | Kurashiki City Arts and Culture Hall |
| Admission (tax included) | Ticket price: 1,000 yen How to purchase tickets ・Purchase from current band members ・Purchase from participants in the Century Band ・Purchase through the ticket application form on the Konko Gakuen Music Club Concert Band website ※If purchasing through the ticket application form, payment must be made in cash at the venue on the day. |
| Website | Konko Gakuen Music Club Concert Band |
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