Sakura is the Japanese word for 'Cherry Blossom'. It is also widely known as a traditional Japanese folk song depicting spring, the season of the cherry blossoms. The original melody uses a pentatonic scale, known as the 'Japanese Mode'. Because the melody spans a modest range, it is ideally suited to be arranged for all kinds of instruments. The melody has even been incorporated into numerous segments of Puccini's opera 'Madame Butterfly'. This arrangement for clarinet quartet by Masato Tajino adds some contemporary rhythms and sounds to the original folksong, yet preserving the typical Japanese 'traditional' sound. For advanced players.

Instrumentation:

• 3 B-flat Clarinets
• Bass Clarinet