Sound is an integral part of traditional Buddhist ceremony in Japanese temples. Time in the temple is structured around a procession of ceremonies: rising, meditating, giving alms, eating, etc., and each ceremony is accompanied by the sonorities of men chanting sutras in unison, called shomyo.

Shomyo is therefore a common part of the temple soundscape, and most people pay little attention to it, thinking it is just the intoning of sacred texts by groups of chanting monks. That it is, of course, but to a careful listener it can reveal deeper levels.

Shomyo is much more than just a men's chorus. A variety of cymbals, wooden drums and clappers punctuate rhythms which contract and expand throughout the phrases, adding interesting tonal colors, percussive reference and structure. The mostly unison singing of the chorus is enlivened as individuals add minute changes in pitch and rhythm.

Most importantly, though, the exquisite wavering and undulation of the sung vowels (called, in Western musical terminology, melismata) held over several beats, soaring and fluctuating, is what makes shomyo, when done well, a breathtaking experience to hear.

Shomyo has been called the mother of all Japanese vocal music. It arrived in Japan well over a thousand years ago, along with the early Buddhist rites and ceremonies. Indeed, in the melismatic singing one can hear the origins of the love of vowel elongation which the Japanese use in all their traditional vocal music, from the classical to the folk.

Shomyo, like liturgical Christian music, has historically been sung for ceremony and was not originally intended as "art music." This has changed over the last decade in Japan as musically aware monks, scholars and composers have rediscovered the beauty and appeal of this song form and begun to perform it in public concert halls.

Japan's National Theater took the lead in introducing shomyo to the public during the 1980s, and now several private promoters and groups are doing the same thing, indicating that it has become a viable art form.

The upcoming performance of "Sen-nen no Koe (Voices of a Thousand Years)" will feature the best of Japan's two major schools of shomyo, the Shingon Sect and the Tendai Sect. This concert also presents a commissioned composition by the Japanese composer Kikuko Masumoto, entitled "Iroha Genso" for shomyo, sho (bamboo mouth organ) and shakuhachi.

There are two performances each day. The matinee focuses on traditional shomyo, with a lecture and demonstration (in Japanese). The evening performance is without the lecture, featuring the commissioned composition along with traditional sho and shakuhachi music.

"Sen-nen no Koe," 2, 7 p.m. Sept. 13-14 at Spiral Hall near Omotesando Station. Admission 3,800 yen in advance, 4,000 yen at the door. For more information or reservations call Kaibunsha, (03) 3643-4960.

One usually doesn't think about taking children to enjoy the esoteric melodies of the shakuhachi or the delicate nuances of the koto or shamisen, but there is a wealth of koto compositions written for children. Michio Miyagi, the great composer and koto performer of the early 20th century, was especially interested in writing, performing and teaching for children, and he left hundreds of works that children could enjoy while learning to play the koto.

Hogaku specialist Takeshi Nakai will introduce a selection of Miyagi's best known children's works and the works of the late 19th century and early 20th century which influenced Miyagi. This concert, the second of two in a series, is being directed and performed by koto master Setsuko Fujita.

Bring the kids to this one.

"Dokyoku no Tenkai" 1:30 p.m. Sept. 11 at Kioi Small Hall (03) 5276-4500, about halfway between Yotsuya and Akasaka-Mitsuke stations, across from the main entrance to the Hotel New Otani. Admission 3,000 yen. For tickets or more information call Setsuko Fujita, (03) 3466-5852.

The peripatetic koto performer Kicho Takano will be presenting a charity concert Sept. 7 for the victims of the severe earthquake in Colombia several months ago.

Peripatetic best describes Takano because of his tireless energies in traveling to various countries around the world, recently including South America, and performing Japanese music for audiences there. He also gets the local children involved in the music making, thus sharing not only sounds but experience as well.

Takano's impact on his audiences in these countries is heightened by the fact that he is visually impaired. This, along with the uplifting music he shares, makes his performances unforgettable.

Takano will present the proceeds from his upcoming Tokyo concert to the Colombian president in person on his return tour of the country this fall, during a command performance scheduled at the presidential palace. The Tokyo performance is a preview of the tour, featuring several new pieces from his latest album inspired by Takano's previous visit to the Caribbean and Colombia.

"Takano Kicho Sokyoku Shisetsu-dan Pre-Concert" 7:10 p.m. Sept. 7 at Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space (Tokyo Geijutsu Gekijo), near JR Ikebukuro Station west exit. Admission 5,000 yen in advance, 5,500 yen at the door. For reservations or more information call Takano, (03) 3983-5025.