On Haiku

The version of On Haiku (The Four Seasons) for shō, percussion and string quartet was commissioned by Transit, Festival for New Music in Leuven in 2016. In 2015, Wim Henderickx composed a solo version of this work for shō (and percussion) for the MA Festival in Bruges. In 2024, Wim Henderickx's musical assistant, Diederik Glorieux, created a version of this work for accordion, percussion and string quartet, at the request of Vincent van Amsterdam for a Dutch premiere at November Music 2024. All these works are inspired by four haiku poems and reflect the four seasons in short musical impressions. The four parts of the work are Haru (Spring), Natsu (Summer), Aki (Autumn) and Fuyu (Winter). Opposite this traditional Japanese mouth organ, which originated in the music of the Japanese imperial court, is a Western string quartet that colours the shō and gives it extra resonance. The work has a ceremonial and ritualistic character, partly because the shō is played in a different place in the hall in each part. 
Between the parts there are short percussion interventions, performed by the shō player. After part 1 these are small metal chimes, after part 2 a small gong and after part 3 a small thunder sheet. The members of the string quartet can be positioned in four corners of the hall, so that the audience is surrounded by sound and a spatial experience is created. The four Haikus: I. HARU (Spring) Drenched in drops, in the morning rain, the whistling of nightingales. (Issa, 1763-1827) II. NATSU (Summer) O pure water! If only it were a mouthful - how delightful! (Buson, 1715-1783) III. AKI (Autumn) When I had seen everything, my eye rested on a white chrysanthemum. (Isshō, 1652-1688) IV. FUYU (Winter) Dawn breaks; and last night's storm is buried in snow. (Shirō, 1724-1815) Haiku from “Japans Gedicht” (Japanese Poetry) by J. van Tooren (Meulenhoff Amsterdam)