Fallen Words

Rakugo, or ‘fallen words’, is a traditional form of Japanese entertainment performed by a lone, seated storyteller (rakugoka) with very few props, if any at all. The complications of each story – its dramatic arc, characterizations and plot turns – are expressed using extremely minimal means, relying on the verbal talents of the rakugoka to maintain interest. This idea is explored in this work for solo organ by Tarik O'Regan: Fallen Words. The piece uses a simple, pedal-like thread from start to finish around which is woven the performer’s ‘story’.

Stephen Farr, in the March/April 2015 issue of Choir and Organ Magazine, suggests that a "good performance" of Fallen Words "will be hypnotic", and "the ability of the performer to engage an audience with the most subtle of nuances is of crucial importance."