Over the years we have shared with many Japanese and British people the joy of music making. Through commitment and rehearsal and performance we have been able to perform a variety of music. Many of the Japanese singers are interested in learning and singing Oratorios and English and European repertoire, so we have developed a tradition of performing well known works such as Handel¡Çs Messiah, Bach¡Çs Christmas Oratorio, Magnificat, Vivaldi Gloria and Requiems by Faure and Rutter, while also introducing Madrigals and English composers such as Purcell, Byrd and Elgar. As for Japanese music we have performed works by Takemitsu, Miyagi, Okano, Terasawa and others. In 2008 I wrote a UK-Japan Motet describing the strengths of both cultures to commemorate 150th Anniversary of relationship between two countries. Our British singers and choristers have loved singing Japanese traditional choral music and children¡Çs songs describing the seasons, nature, and memories of childhood. Japanese music has always been featured in spring and summer recitals.

A musical highpoint in our activities over 20 years was the performance of Beethoven's 9th Symphony in the Queen Elizabeth Hall at Christmas in 1997 with a choir of over 120 voices, which was performed to celebrate the start of theUK98festival that took place in Japan in 1998. The Society has worked conscientiously at other UK-Japan milestone years such as Japan 2001, UK2008, and the Millennium year, as well at major Japan Days and Japan Festivals. However, our ensemble is flexible and often we sing in small groups and have brought our Japanese/UK friendships and music to universities, to old peoples' homes, and to churches.

Support from Japanese and British Embassies, UK and Japanese companies and grant aiding foundations has enabled the Society to continue its activities for over 20 years. This included opportunities for groups from the UK to visit Japan on a number of occasions. For example Leicester Cathedral Choir visited a number of cities in Japan with young musicians from Leicester Arts in 1998 and 2005. In our visits, highlights were seeing the Noh Theatre and meeting a Human Treasure. We gave an inaugural concert at St Mary¡Çs Church in Toyama, which was built and completed with gifts of stained glass windows from the Diocese of Leicester in 2005. We were also able to host visits from Japanese groups, particularly aiding our ongoing friendship with Rikkyo University. We have also hosted koto ensembles from Japan and have given performances featuring shakuhachi and harpsichord. Often we use and promote young Japanese and UK soloists.

In the future we plan to strengthen our activities with Japanese and UK musicians through universities, music colleges and music foundations by developing further collaborations. In the meantime we will continue the performance of traditional and new repertoire, compose or commission new works for special occasions, and we will enjoy the shared company and vision, music and friendship making opportunities.

I am deeply honoured to have been given the decoration of The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette and see that as recognition of the work of my wife and myself and of the dedication and support of very many Japanese and UK singers and friends.