Rejoice
| Rejoice | |
|---|---|
| ? | |
| Details | |
| Word count | 358 |
| Book | New Horizon |
| Grade | 3 |
| Year | ? |
This is from an old (but not older than 1994) New Horizon Book 3.
"Thank you for coming to hear my music," Hikari Oe said after a concert in Hiroshima in 1994. In the audience there were many handicapped children with their parents.
Hikari is also handicapped. He was born with brain damage. His parents did not know what to do. But doctors were able to save Hikari's life. Since then his family has taken care of him at home.
For a long time Hikari showed no emotions. He did not speak at all. He only responded to the sound of birds, so his father got records of bird songs for him.
One day his parents took him for a walk in the forest. He got excited and said, "That's a water rail." He said it just like the narrator on one of his records. These were his first words. He was six years old.
He liked the sound of music, too. A lady came to teach him the piano. It was difficult, so they started a game. She played some music and he wrote it down. Sometimes the teacher saw some music she did not know. Later she found it was Hikari's own music. When his doctor died, Hikari wrote some music. It was very sad music. He could show his feelings with music instead of words.
When he was twenty-one, Hikari started to work at a factory with other handicapped people. But he still writes music. In 1992 a CD was made of his music. This first CD sold very well, and Hikari won a prize.
Lullaby of June is a beautiful piece of music on his second CD. He wrote it for the month of his birthday. Hikari is now a famous musician.
Hikari has a great fear of death. His father, Kenzaburo, wanted him to overcome the fear. He asked Hikari to write some music for the people who died in Hiroshima long ago. Hikari's music moved many people at the concert in Hiroshima in 1994.
Can we find joy in spite of suffering and death? This is a question his father asks in his books. Hikari gives us an answer. His music shows us how to rejoice.
