00:00 Japan (Gagaku): Imperial Sho Koto Chant: This selection  is performed by male singers intoning a slow, low  traditional dance. They are accompanied by the koto,  plucked string instrument and the sho, a mouth organ  with small pipes. The sho plays a unison melody four  octaves higher than the singers. The dissonant sound  you hear is deliberately produced by playing the sho  slightly out of tune against the singers. As the  parts go in and out of tune, a feeling of tension and  release is achieved. The koto is the primary source  of percussive rhythm.
00:42 End