Finale Song: “We Are All Shining Divine Sparks”
In honor of the Fuji Declaration, a special finale song, “We Are All Shining Divine Sparks,” was written for this year’s SOPP ceremony. Set to Japanese lyrics by Masami Saionji, the music was composed by Mr. Toshiyuki Watanabe, a well-known Japanese composer, conductor, and producer who has written music for several television, film, and animation projects, among others.
“We Are All Shining Divine Sparks” is a song that anyone can easily learn and sing, and the lyrics beautifully summarize the message of the SOPP and the Fuji Declaration:
(English lyrics)
Let’s rise above our differences, embracing our diversity
Let us create a future of peace and harmony
We all exist in oneness as part of the universe
Divine spark is in our hearts, shining through you and me
The song was performed on stage (in Japanese) by Japanese soprano vocalist Tomoko Maekawa, an operatic singer who studied in Japan and Germany, and has performed with the Tokyo Chamber Opera Theatre as well as in solo recitals. She was joined on stage by six choir students from Hitoana Elementary School, located near Fuji Sanctuary.
After Ms. Maekawa and the students had performed the song once, a large group of presenters joined them both in front of the stage and dispersed throughout the Prayer Field. They sang along and also performed movements to accompany the lyrics. Participants were invited to join in the song at this point.
Byakko Chairperson Masami Saionji also joined the performers on stage, along with her husband Hiroo Saionji and her daughters Maki, Rika, and Yuka. After this second performance, Mrs. Saionji thanked the performers, and remarked that she hoped the song would help to take the message of the Fuji Declaration across boundaries of nationality, age, culture, and background. Then, she invited participants to stand and join in a final rendition of the song.
With 10,000 people on their feet, singing and moving in harmony, the eleventh annual Symphony of Peace Prayers closed with a rousing finale. As participants gathered their things and left the Prayer Field, their own divine sparks seemed to shine even more brightly. The vibrations of harmony and oneness resonating at Fuji Sanctuary would no doubt radiate out to the world, joining with the vibrations of peace prayers sent out from all across the globe. This collective energy would carry with it the beautiful message of the Fuji Declaration: that when we awaken the divine spark within us, a world of oneness and peace awaits.
May Peace Prevail on Earth.