May 2025 - "Song of the Seashore"

Tamezō Narita (1893-1945) was a Japanese violinist, composer, and teacher. While attending the Tokyo Music School, he concentrated his studies on European classical music, and began creating some of his own compositions in the style of those masters. He was especially influenced by the Austrian composer Johann Strauss II. One of Narita’s earliest compositions was a waltz melody he named “Hamabe no Uta”, or “Song of the Seashore”. It was inspired by the words of a poem written by Kokei Hayashi, which evokes the serene and reflective feelings of gazing at the vast expanse of the sea.

Most of Narita’s compositions were written during the Taisho Era, which was a time of cultural modernization in Japan. Songs like "Hamabe no Uta" combined Western musical influences with traditional Japanese aesthetics, making them highly accessible to the public. The song was introduced into school music curricula and textbooks, ensuring its widespread recognition and popularity among generations of Japanese people. Narita composed more than 200 pieces of music in his lifetime, including violin solos, piano music, and symphony and orchestral works.

Here’s a link to a YouTube video of an English translation of “Song of the Seashore” being sung by Susan Osborn

There are a couple of chromatic notes necessary for this arrangement. This can be accomplished in the key of D by utilizing a 1+ fret, or in the key of A by capo’ing at the 4th fret and utilizing both the 6 and 6+ frets. I’ve provided both arrangements.

Enjoy!

In music and friendship,

—Tull

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