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Nagai Seiho and the Kamakura Sankyokukai perform a programme of solos, duets and ensemble pieces reflecting the diverse genres and styles of a music rarely heard outside of Japan but which is one of the richest musical cultures of the world. Japanese music frequently takes its inspiration from the sights and sounds of nature: the deer calling to each other through the mist of the deep mountains, the moon glistening on the snow in the depth of winter, the fragrance of incense hanging in the air, as well as the poignancy of love, remembrance, beauty and sadness, often set to ancient court poetry of the 10th to 12th centuries. Haunting melodies, free rhythms, subtle variations of pitch and timbre take the listeners to a separate space between the past and the present, between this world and the next. All the performers will be wearing the traditional costumes of kimono for women and monstuki and hakama for men.