Sakura Choir: An Evening with Japanese Family Musicians to benefit the Japan Relief Fund

Musical Art Society of Branford presents

Sakura Choir:  An Evening with Japanese Family Musicians to benefit the Japan Relief Fund
Friday, March 30, 2012 at 7:00 pm
Blackstone Library Auditorium
758 Main Street, Branford, CT
(203) 488-1441
Free-will Donation 

The Musical Art Society of Branford presents Sakura Choir, a Japanese singing group, and their young children who sing and play violin and piano; on Friday, March 30 at the Blackstone Library in Branford.  The free program begins at 7 pm, and donations at the door will go to the Japan Relief Fund, on this one year anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that wreaked havoc in Japan, their homeland.   

In the winter of 2009, a group of friends who share the love of music gathered and formed a singing group they named "Sakura Choir." The "Sakura" ("cherry blossom" in Japanese) is the most beloved tree, strongly intertwined in Japanese culture for many centuries. In the spring, when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, it is a tradition in Japan to go to parks or mountains and have a picnic. People enjoy food and drink, and dance and sing under the cherry trees.  Just as cherry blossoms make people happy, so the Sakura Choir hopes to bring joy and happiness with their songs.  Most members are either from Japan or speak Japanese, and they are now affiliated with Yale University and live in Branford, Guilford and New Haven.

The Sakura Choir has been providing mini-concerts at nursing homes and schools in Branford and Guilford.   This program will consist of violin and piano performance and singing by the children followed by the Sakura Choir singers in concert, doing traditional and contemporary Japanese as well as American songs. The Blackstone Library Auditorium is a fine concert hall with exceptional acoustics, and free parking is available on site.  Refreshments will be served following the concert. 

Musical Art Society is a non-profit cultural arts group founded in 1920 with the mission to support and promote excellence in music in the community and to provide an annual music scholarship to a graduating high school senior.  Most concerts are free and open to the public, sponsored by members dues and donations.  New members are always welcome.  For more information about this concert or MAS membership, contact Barbara Shaw (president) at musicalartsociety@snet.net or Jean Sunny at (203) 481-2006 evenings.