Sy. 9103 - Hannah Kendall - this is but an oration of loss (2022)

Kendall

this is but an oration of loss

for voices 2022 Score

Version 28.09.2022

Sy. 9103

ISMN 979-0-2042-9103-8

Copyright © 2022 by G. Ricordi & Co. Bühnen- und Musikverlag GmbH, Berlin

Alle Rechte vorbehalten

All rights reserved / Tutti i diritti riservati

Commissioned by Ekmeles. First performance by the ensemble at the crypt of the Church of the Intercession, New York City, on Friday 27 May 2022.

The text is taken from M. NourbeSe Philip's Zong! ( #1, #26, and Ebora), with deepest gratitude to the author for permission, and from Chapter 37 of the Book of Ezekiel.

Instrumentation

Soprano Mezzo-soprano Alto

Tenor (also playing D and E Harmonicas and The Blue Danube wind-up music box)

Baritone (also playing C and D Harmonicas and Moon River wind-up music box)

Bass (also playing B b and C Harmonicas)

Duration c. 12'

‘When your merchandise went out on the seas, you satisfied many nations; with your great wealth and your wares you enriched the kings of the earth.

Now you are shattered by the sea in the depths of the waters; your wares and all your company have gone down with you.

All who live in the coastlands are appalled at you; their kings shudder with horror and their faces are distorted with fear.

The merchants among the nations scoff at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more .’

(Ezekiel 27:33-36)

Performance Directions

VOICES

+cupped mouth: cover mouth with hand, ensuring that there are no gaps between fingers. The sound should be noticeably restricted.

○ uncupped mouth.

An arrow between these two signs: gradually cover or uncover the mouth using a slow arm movement.

With the hand covering the mouth, quickly uncover and cover the mouth by lifting just the fingers away from the cheek, to produce a wah-wah sound. Continuation of this is shown by tremolo slashes on note stems.

Where possible, freely spoken or whispered passages can carry over into subsequent rests.

HARMONICAS

If a breath is required when playing the harmonicas, diminuendo to silence before doing so, and re-enter with a crescendo from silence afterwards. Breaths should be staggered between the harmonica players when playing tog ether.

When playing two harmonicas simultaneously, take a harmonica in each hand, or two in one hand, place vertically against mouth to blow/draw for as long as each exhale/inhale allows, as slow as possible. Stated pitches are guidelines only. Blow/draw in general range (low, medium, high), as shown.

When speaking into a harmonica, keep lips in contact with the instrument throughout, changing the mouth shape to form the words, as indicated by cross noteheads.

MUSIC BOXES

Music boxes should be placed conveniently nearby, on a low table or similar. The lids should remain closed throughout.

Wind-up music boxes, and harmonicas can be sourced from online platforms. Ensure that the music boxes will play independently once wound, rather than only sounding when cranked.

Hannah KendallM.

unpitched

stage whisper /0

I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin...

stage whisper /0

I will put breath in you, and you will come to life… this is a tale torn cold to our souls

mf

...will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. spoken freely /0 rough

harmonicas down

harmonicas down

stage whisper

was the need was the perils was the want was the particular circumstance was the seas was the costs was the could was the would

stage whisper

was the policy was the loss was the vessel was the rains was the order was the that was the this was the necessity was the mistake

stage whisper was the cause was the remedy was the record was the argument was the delay was the evidence was overboard

was the captain was the crew was the result… was the voyage stage whisper

stage whisper

was the voyage was the water was the maps was the weeks

stage whisper was the weeks was the winds was the calms was the captain was the seas was the rains… was the declaration was the apprehension /0

was

was

(ord.

spoken stage whisper the oba sobs again /0

thevoyage was

de

spoken stroyed was

spoken stage whisper these words come from his lips /0

thevoyage was fp de fspoken stroyed was

stage whisper our lust our loss all that is old lives /0 was the therefore was the this…

slowly, ratchet-like

mfspoken urgently

…there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

...breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet – a vast army.

them; they came to life and stood up on their feet

hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones.

Le main de l'Éternel fut sur moi, et l'Éternel me transporta en esprit, et me déposa dans le milieu d'une vallée remplie d'ossements.

spoken

led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry.

mfspoken

me

passer auprés d'eux, tout autour; et voici, ils étaient fort nombreux, à la surface de la vallée, et ils étaient complèment secs.

mfspoken

He asked me: "Son of man, can these bones live?" I said, "Sovereign Lord, you alone know." ...je vais faire entrer en vous un esprit, et vous vivrez; je vous donnerai des nerfs, je ferai croître sur vous de la chair, je vous couvrirai de peau, je mettrai en vous un esprit, et vous vivrez.

spoken

Il me dit: "Fils de l'homme, ce sos pourront-ils revivre? "Je répondis: "SeigneurÉternel, tu le sais." ...je vais faire entrer en vous un esprit, et vous vivrez; je vous donnerai des nerfs, je ferai croître sur vous de la chair, je vous couvrirai de peau, je mettrai en vous un esprit, et vous vivrez.