Scenes from Utō: The Birds of Sorrow (2023) by John Lane

Scene 1: Performed by Paul Bartenfeld, Darrion Chandler, Ann Hall, and Gabe Silverstein with John Lane
Scene 2: Performed by Rohan Chowla, Kevin Cooper, Spencer Harris, and Coby Lovelace with John Lane
Scene 3: Performed by Hayden French, Roman Ramirez, Rose Roché, and Will Simpson with John Lane
Scene 4: Performed by Leah Baetcke, Helen Dunn, Lauren Hong, and Cason Duszak with John Lane
A Night of Percussion by the UVA Percussion Ensemble
April 15th, 2023
This piece is commissioned and written for I-Jen Fang and the University of Virginia Percussion Ensemble and dedicated to Christopher Deane. Utō is a Japanese Noh play written by Seami Motokiyo sometime during the Muromachi Period (1333-1600). Originating in the 14th century, Noh is a theatrical form involving music, dance, and drama. Loosely translated from the original play, Utō means “virtue seeking bird.” The Utō birds, or utōyasukata, are supposedly a species of bird found in northern Japan that were once widely hunted for its flesh.
“According to the tradition, the parent bird of the species hides its young so well in the sand that even it cannot find them and, when bringing them food, calls them with the cry “Utō,” to which they reply with the cry “Yasukata.” Hunters catch both parent birds and the young by imitating these cries. It is also said that the parent birds weep tears of blood upon seeing their young taken, and that the hunters must wear large hats and rain cloaks to protect themselves from the falling tears, the touch of which causes sickness and death.”
- Donald Keene
Utō is, at its essence, a Buddhist morality tale. In the play a wandering Monk, while making a pilgrimage throughout various provinces, happens upon a valley that leads him to a mysterious Realm of Ravenous Ghosts. The Monk is approached by a Hunter, who passed away the previous year (poisoned by the Utō bird) and has been languishing in this hell. The Hunter begs the Monk to take a message to his Wife and Son, offering a sleeve of his kimono as proof. The Monk delivers the message, but the Wife is overcome with sorrow. Only the Monk is able to communicate and hear the prayers of the Hunter. The Hunter, then from hell, recounts to the Monk the story of his death-being poisoned after hunting the Utō-and his descent into hell. He expresses regret and repentance, but is ultimately unable to escape his fate. In the end, a gruesome phantom bird terrorizes and torments him in hell. The Hunter becomes the prey, constantly fleeing and never knowing a moment’s peace.
The bird is a symbol for the Buddhist tenet that taking a life in any form is a sin.
- John Lane