A total of 160 choir members from all across Japan arrived in Taiwan yesterday morning, and soon began rehearsing for the Memorial Concert for Japan's March 11 Earthquake & Tsunami. The Iwate University Chorus, the Morioka Bach Kantaten Verein, and the Geistlicher Musik Chor Sendai are all renowned choirs from the areas most devastated by the March 11 disaster, to which the groups lost many members.

Abe Manabu, a member of the Morioka choir whose family survived the earthquake because they were visiting him in the hospital, trembled while recalling his frightening experience during the tsunami. He said that he sometimes feel guilty for having lived. The biggest lesson he learned from the 311 disaster is that humans are not on their own and that whatever disaster strikes, “Be prepared to live on, despite all negative emotions.”

Abe said Mahler's Symphony No. 2 was chosen among the concert pieces because of the “resurrection” aspect it symbolized.

Japan is recovering, thanks to the help of the world, and especially Taiwan, and hopefully through performing Mahler's piece, those living would be encouraged, while their friends who passed away could hear the heart-felt melodies the living sing for them, he said.

Also in the repertoire are six songs written by Kenji Miyazawa, a phenomenal Japanese poet who is also a promoter of peace. “We sing in streaming tears, and we sing because we cannot continue living in sadness,” choir conductor Sasaki Masatoshi, firmly said.

”We hope to deliver our gratitude in the form of our singing voices to our Taiwanese friends,” Sasaki said. Coming to Taiwan is a dream-come-true for the survivors, he said, bowing, “Thank you for all your help.”

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/foreign-affairs/2012/03/20/335176/Choir-of.htm