Prayer [Solo Marimba]

A commissioned work by marimbist Naoto Uetoko. The piece deals with the theme of world peace, and a portion of the proceeds from its premiere was donated to the Japan Committee for UNICEF. "Prayer" means a petition or supplication. The following is an excerpt from the commissioner's program notes: "Around the world, there are people who cannot eat, people who are abused, people who have no home, people who can do nothing but wait for death. There are many people facing difficulties. Amidst all this, I live a normal life and am even able to make music. I am deeply saddened by such a stark disparity. I thought about how these people could find happiness. At that moment, I realized that what I could do was to convey their feelings through my performance. And I hope that this situation will be understood, even a little, and that action will be taken beyond that. If you only think about your own happiness, you will never truly be happy."