International String Trio @ Hammond Castle

　インターナショナル・ストリング・トリオでマサチューセッツ州のグロウスターで結婚式のギグがございました。このハモンド・キャッスルは海岸沿いにそびえ立つ、見まごう事なき中世のお城でございました。

　さて、ではなぜゆえにアメリカ合衆国にこんな中世ヨーロッパのお城があるかと言うとですね、ここは元々ジョン・ヘイズ・ハモンドさんという発明家が建てたもので、彼は８００もの特許で財をなしてこの城を建て、ここを自宅兼研究所として使っていたそうです。そんな訳で、着工は1926年で完成が1929年と、まだ築８０年の見た目よりは全然新しい城でございます。ここは今現在は博物館になっているそうで、城の中には彼のコレクションであった中世の鎧やら何やらが飾られておりました。

I had a wedding gig at the Hammond Castle in Gloucester with International String Trio. The castle is located right by the Atlantic Ocean and it is solemn, majestic and just beautiful. Well, the first question popped up in my mind was why this very European, very Medieval castle exists in the United States of America. The answer is that there was the inventor called John Hays Hammond Jr. who had patented over 800 inventions and made quite a bit of wealth. He was some kind of a castle freak, and after he got rich, he built one for himself. The guy was actually living in here and using the castle as his laboratory as well. This castle is not as old as it looks; it was built in 1929 so it is only 80 years old. The castle is now a museum and Medieval armor etc. of his collections are displayed in here.

うわああああ、きれいすぎるっしょ！こんな天気のいい日にこんな景色のいい所に来れて、本当に良かったっす！いい渡米１４周年の記念になりました。ほーっほっほっほ。 Jeez, it's too beautiful!! I was so really glad to come to such a great place on such a great day! This view is the most wonderful gift for my 14th anniversary of being in America. Ha-ha.

International String TrioBen Powell (Violin) Slava Tolstoy (Guitar) Ippei Ichimaru (Bass)