Thousands of Bundled Straw V

David YOUNG
Born 1969, Brisbane, Australia

Thousands of Bundled Straw V (1998)

soprano, guitar

The title derives from a myth surrounding the Ichibata-Yakush Buddist Temple, situated on the hill overlooking Lake Shinji-ko, in Hirata-City, Shimane Prefecture, Japan. The temple is known as the "Ichibat-Yakushi of Healing Eyes" after the story of Yoichi, a fisherman whose mother was blind. One day Yoichi happened upon a small statue of Buddha floating on the sea. In a dream the statue told Yoichi: "Jump down from the Hyakujho cliff, then your mother's bad eyes will be opened." Ignoring the protests of friends and his mother, Yoichi tied bundles of straw to his body, threw himself off the specified cliff, and rolled down on to a rock near the sea. Yoichi survived to found the Ichibata-Yakushi temple, and needless to say his mother's sight was restored.

The mystical statue, found by Yoichi "about 1100 years ago" is said to be housed in a box, in an altar, in a sanctuary, in a temple, in the main building of the temple complex. A million pilgrims visit the temple every year. The text of the song explores heavily deconstructed fragments from works by George Perec, Italo Calvino, the myth of Yoichi the fisherman, and others -- it therefore fluctuates between English, Italian and Japanese, and should be pronounced as such at the performer's discretion. The singer also gently drops eggs onto the floor symbolising Yoichi's fall.

Programme note © David YOUNG