Composition by Will Healy '12

 Hashima is named after a ghost city, located on an island 15 miles off the coast of Nagasaki, Japan. It served as a coal mining facility from 1887 to 1974, and it was once one of the most densely populated places in the world. Abandoned abruptly after its closure, its high-rise concrete buildings lie empty as dramatic remnants of Japan's industrial age. My piece's two movements represent two days in two different eras on Hashima Island. The first, 1959, takes place at its most vibrant, when the population of the island was at its peak. Miners and their families are awoken from their dreams by the morning bell, and the music is frantic and full of energy as they go about their days. The second movement, 1974, represents the abandoned island. Listen for the ocean waves, bird songs, and crumbling buildings as nature reclaims what is left of the city. This piece was written for and performed by the Mahagonny Ensemble at Vassar College by William Healy, Class of 2012. It premiered in April 2010.-- Will Healy '12