Preserving the Music of a Work in Progress: Notes on the Music of Hope Princess

Summary

The music of Hope Princess now available is not in finished form; it is the sound of a work still in progress. On listening again, there is much that could be improved from today's perspective, in sound design, structure, mixing, vocals and performance, and the shaping of expression. Even so, the Church will not set these pieces aside as old works, but will preserve them as a record of the creative process. Going forward, the music will be developed over time, in connection with the story and its characters.

Background

This music is a record, built up little by little in the form of sound, of feelings and ideas that could not yet be put into words, before the world of Hope Princess had taken shape. At the time, that world had not been organized as clearly as it is now. Each piece had emotions and scenes it sought to express, and today's XmasFantasy stands at the end of a repeated cycle of trying, failing and making the next piece.

We would be grateful if listeners would attend not only to each piece as a finished work, but also to the process: what was being thought, felt and expressed during this period. Even within its imperfections lie seeds that lead to later works. The hint of a phrase, the hesitation of a modulation, or a single word of a lyric has at times become the prototype of a present character theme or soundtrack. The light named Stella di Betlemme, the Star of Bethlehem, also came into view through the accumulation of such small glimmers.

Additional notes

From now on, the aim will not be to produce a large number of new pieces. The music will be made slowly, considering why each work comes into being, what it seeks to convey, in which scene of the story it is heard and whose emotions it carries. The music we aim for is as follows.

• Background music and incidental scores tied to scenes in the story
• Character themes that rise from the inner life of each character
• Original music, as manga music and story music, that resonates with images and words
• Fantasy music that carries the light of Christian culture and a sense of prayer

The music will not end as standalone pieces but will be connected with manga, story, characters, visual works and the world of the work. Just as one sound may call forth another work and one story may give rise to new music, the aim is a world in which the works pass energy to one another. The present original music is like a quiet potential energy, stored up in order to grow. Immaturity is not a past to be erased; it is also an entrance to a hope that has not yet sprouted. We would be grateful if listeners would continue to accompany this story of hope as it grows.