Ron Hadley’s contributions to Harvest of Music extend beyond mere musicianship and into the realm of literary adaptation.

Gauche, the Cellist, a short story written in the 1920s by the well-known Japanese poet and author Kenji Miyazawa will be presented as a multi-disciplinary performance and the translation and adaptation for stage comes courtesy of Hadley, music co-ordinator for The Old School House arts centre.

“The original story was Gauche, the Cellist but I have adapted it for double bass,” said Hadley.

“Miyazawa has written so much beautiful poetry, many of them are ostensibly children’s stories but they’re really for adults too.”

Gauche, the Cellist is about a frustrated cellist in a semi-professional small town orchestra that is rehearsing for its upcoming performance of Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony. Each night when Gauche returns home to his shabby, little shack to practice into the wee hours after another day of being scolded for his incompetence by the conductor, he is visited by various local animals. These strange and enchanting dreamlike visitations gradually transform Gauche’s frustration into a more constructive and beneficial awareness of how music and compassion can bring contentment and good health to all beings in the world.

Performed by The Pastoral Players, member Yayoi Hirano has created four animal masks for the presentation. A kabuki theatre dimension will be provided by Satoko muta, a young mime artist from Japan who will work as a kuroko, essentially an ‘invisible’ stage hand clad in black characteristic of the Japanese theatre form.

The October 5 performance will be preceded by a brief demonstration about Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony by University of Victoria School of Music Professor Harald Krebs.

During Harvest of Music, Gauche, the Cellist will be presented in almost every school in District 69.

“The performers were brought up in Japan and are an internationally recognized mime troupe that’s performed all over the world,” said Hadley who will also provide narration for the performance that features mime, dance, music and narration.

reporter@pqbnews.com