A memory of the orchestra camp half a century ago

Maybe, I have reiterated about the university orchestra camp in this blog. It was held in the end of this month. Over half a century ago. At the valley of Shinshu surrounded with high mountains named Northern Japan Alps. 

As the season coming closer every year, I could not help remembering of that event even though it has passed a long time since that. Description and a few photos of that event just for my memoir in youth...even though I know I have done the same thing in the past.

This lake named Aokiko was close to the camp site. In the free time of the camp, some of us have made excursion there. Rowing boat and even swimming. No one was swimming other than us. As written before, until we finished swimming across the lake, we didn't know it had been so dangerous to swim there due to its big change of water temerature for a possibility that it had been forbidden to swim there.  

This place used to be commercialized with a lot of advertisements or accomodations  when the winter Olympic games were held in Nagano. After its enthusiasm was gone, it turned back to the usual tranquility. I have visited there with my wife in our honey moon period and then alone by myself for a lot of times. The photos shown in this post were taken about 10 years ago.

After swimming in the lake, we walked down to the camp place on this road. It took us an hour or so on foot. We must be pretty tired but could not be even more energitic and vivid. A lot of laughter and talks among the young fellows, some of them in swim suites. I was happy to find the area in the same way as half a century ago. Was it an illusion at taking this photo as if I could see that herd of young people were walking to the lodge?

This is the lodge we often held the camp. Despite of some modifications, the lodge remained almost the same as the orchestral camping days in '70s. Hidden by trees on the left in this photo is the hall we made rehearsal. A range of high moutains not seen by the fog on this photo is risen behind the hills  in front. In the end of this month, cool breeze ushering in early fall was blowing down from the mountains. The railway in front is named Ohito line running along the valley, the most western side of the great rit valley in Japan dividing our country east to west. Unfortunately, there are less and less passengers on it and the rail line could be abolished in the near future, I am afraid. These accomodations may undergo a change then.

This is not a credible memory but I had my cello broken during one of the camps. That might be at a camp other than this place. Anyway, I had to bring the cello to exchange to another back to Tokyo. I was not caring about what to wear etc and was wearing "geta". At the station, my friends were farewelling me singing ”Grandfather's Clock". With a substitute cello, I used to get back to the camp on a night train on the return.  Eary in the morning the day after, the train almost arriving at the station of the camping site, the valley has extened in morning mist, so serene and beautiful. I could not forget the scene.

                                                                                            

It was only a few years since I started learning cello. I could play only some parts of pieces the orchestra was practising. The pieces I used to play in the orchestra have left me precious and irreplaceable memories. One of such pieces is this; Petit Suite by Debussy. A lovely and impressionistic expression of the scene. It sure brings me back to the memory of the camping site and the lake mentioned above.

I am so grateful to have had such memories related with such a beautiful music.

I am still sometimes fascinated to drive to this area by myself. It has become, howeveer, too adventurous for me to do that any more. I would devote myself to the old memories listening to this piece.