The Influence Of Kyoto's Sodai Gomi On Celtic Music

[Mulboyne]

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Here's a curious story. The Penguin Cafe Orchestra was a British ensemble put together by Simon Jeffes. The name might not mean much to you but there's a fair chance you'll have heard the piece in the clip above, called "Music for a Found Harmonium", since it has been used for television and film on numerous occasions. It has also become a staple for Celtic folk musicians because of the resemblance to an Irish reel. Interestingly, it turns out that the piece has a strong link to Japan. From the Penguin's website:

...In early 1982, they went to Japan, a country which held a particular fascination for Simon Jeffes, not least because it was the home of Zen Buddhism, his religion of choice. After the tour ended he stayed on in Tokyo working with the composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, then went to the ancient city of Kyoto where serendipity intervened again to inspire one of his best known pieces. "Walking one evening I found a harmonium on top of other bits of scrap wood apparently discarded in the street. On contacting the owner who was indifferent to its future. I took possession." Music For A Found Harmonium was the outcome a few weeks later...