Nagasaki Choir of A-Bomb Victims for Concert in Germany

Every August 9, the day Nagasaki was A-bombed, a choir of A-bom victims, "Sunflowers", sings to appeal banning nuclear weapons as part of the Peace Ceremony in Nagasaki. It's a choir of 46 members average aged 77.

The choir toured to New York last May in time for the NPT Conference there and gave a concert. The members had trained well in preparation for that concert. The concert was quite a success, it was reported.

The concert in New York was presented by the grandson of the late President Truman, Clifton Truman Daniel, and the members of the choir, themselves victims of A-bomb, talked about their own experiences and a mini violin concert followed with instruments that were exposed to A-bomb on August 9, 1945.

Now, on October 20, the choir left Nagasaki Airport for Germany this time for an 8-day tour of Europe. They will give a concert at the German Church and visit the Vatican and for an audience of the Pope October 21. The choir will sing "Never Again" to appeal to the Pope the agonies of A-bomb.

Prior to their concert tour to the Vatican, the Pope had sent the choir a message reading "May God's blessings be on Sunflowers".
The Choir "Sunflowers" was organized in 2004 with victims of A-bomb and is the only choir membered only by A-bomb victims. In 2012, the choir released a CD "The Summer We were There" and gave a mini concert at Okinawa's Himeyuri Hall.

At the 70th year of A-bombings in Nagasaki and Hiroshima, the choir receives more requests for concert. Its members 77 years old in average, the concert tour to Germany and the Vatican this time might likely be their last concert abroad.