Itsuki-no-Komori-uta (Lullaby of Itsuki Village)
arrangement of a famous Japanese melody for flute ensemble
by Wil Offermans

Published by Musikverlag Zimmermann (ZM 33850)
- instrumentation: 4 flutes; 1 alto flute (or C flute); 2 bass flutes; 1 contrabass flute, however all flutes also can be performed on alternative instruments e.g. C-flutes.
- duration: 7 minutes
- score: 8 pages, plus 8 part-scores and an optional 'Flute 5' (as an alternative for the alto flute).
- text in: German and English
- year of publication: 2000
- this edition has been awarded by the Newly Published Music Committee of the National Flute Association USA, in 2003.

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Itsuki-no-Komori-uta

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Itsuki-no-Komori-uta is a popular Japanese traditional folk song (literally "The lullaby of Itsuki"). Itsuki is the name of a mountain village in southern Japan (Kumamoto area). This village is well-known for its beautiful nature and its clean river. In old times, when Itsuki was desperately poor, the people had to send their 7-8 year old daughters to the rich families in the city to work as a nursemaid. Living far away from home, these young nursemaids had to look after the babies all day long. When lulling the babies asleep, they started to sing about their own misfortune and distress and created the lullaby Itsuki-no-Komori-uta. Nowadays, Itsuki isn’t so poor any more. Though, recently there is a plan to build a dam with water reservoir near Itsuki. If this dam will be constructed, the village will disappear under the flooding water and only the song will remind us to Itsuki village.

The eight flute parts (4 flutes in C; 1 alto flute in G; 2 bass flutes in C; 1 contra bass flute in C) also can be performed on other instruments e.g. flutes in C.

The piece has been recorded by Wil Offermans on the CD Made in Japan (CDE-981/E-records).