"Voices Everywhere" Program Notes
May 19, 2022, 8:00PM - St. John's in the Village, 218 W. 11th St., Manhattan
May 21, 2022, 8:00PM - St. Luke in the Fields Church, 487 Hudson St., Manhattan
May 21, 2022, 8:00PM - St. Luke in the Fields Church, 487 Hudson St., Manhattan
Program
Turing Believes Machines Think, Gordon Hamilton
Conductor: Daniel Andor-Ardó
"...a setting of a passage from a letter written by British Mathematician and computer pioneer Alan Turing. Turing signed the letter to his friend with a syllogism expressing his fear that his life’s work will be overshadowed or even disproven by his sexuality and prosecution for ‘gross indecency’:
Turing believes machines think
Turing lies with men
Therefore machines do not think
Yours in distress, Alan.
Even in the 1940s, Turing foresaw that machines could be made to think! I get goosebumps thinking about it… I’ve tried to make the choir sound a bit like a machine (actually in the same tempo as his famous ‘Bombe’ machine, used to crack the Enigma code). I also based the main motif on Shostakovich’s D-S-C-H theme: the State quashes the Individual… Turing died of a probable suicide soon after this letter."
— Gordon Hamilton
About the composer:
Gordon Hamilton is an Australian composer and conductor active in Germany.
Gordon’s compositions often subvert expectations of ‘classical’ formats'. 'Thum Prints' (created with Tom Thum in 2015) pairs a beatboxer with orchestra and has been performed scores of times internationally. 'Loop Guts' (composed with and for violinist Hannah Solveij in 2021) combines solo violin, orchestra, sampling, loops, electronic effects and vocalisations. His composition 'Action Hero' (2016) delights in the musical qualities of the iconic voice of Arnold Schwarzenegger, of which a recording invades the orchestra. In December 2018 he traveled to Antarctica to compose ‘Far South’ which was premiered in 2020 by Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and has since seen numerous repeat performances. His ‘Requiem-Recomposed’ is a hyper-modern realisation of Mozart’s unfinished Requiem.
Recently, Gordon has conducted the Nürnberger Symphoniker, Bachchor Salzburg, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and Queensland Symphony Orchestra. He is the regular conductor for the #IGNITION concert series with the Düsseldorfer Symphoniker (Tonhalle Düsseldorf), the Re:Arranged video series with WDR Funkhausorchester and the Machiavelli Sessions for WDR COSMO.
Gordon has a strong affinity for choral music. Recently he has created compositions and arrangements for the WDR Rundfunkchor and Bachchor Salzburg. Between 2009 and 2021 Gordon was Artistic Director of The Australian Voices. Of their 2013 concert in New York City, the New York Times wrote "... it was as if the gates of heaven had opened." In 2014 TAV made international headlines with their video of Rob Davidson's 'Not Now, Not Ever!' – a musicalisation of former PM Julia Gillard’s famous ‘misogyny’ speech. In 2020, in response to arts shutdowns, TAV commissioned 22 composers, including Nico Muhly on the theme ‘Far and Near’.
A serial collaborator, Gordon has worked as an arranger and conductor with many popular artists including Jorja Smith, Parkway Drive, L’Impératrice, Max Herre, Nura and Jónsi & Alex.
L'Ours Réglisse et le sac à malices, Bushra El-Turk
Conductor: Perry Townsend
L’Ours Réglisse et le sac à malices (trans. “Réglisse the Bear and the Bag of Mischief”) is a set of three tableaux or games for mixed choir by Bushra El-Turk, setting portions of Lily Boulay’s story of the same name, chosen from a selection of French children’s fairy tales.
The story revolves around a bear who has never shown anyone what’s in his bag of mischief, until this day when he trots and sings through the woods, and leaves the bag with several ladies he meets in their houses. Each time, a creature is in the bag, which is subsequently lost by the lady. First a bumble bee, then a rooster (taken from the first lady for losing the bee), then a big pig (taken from the second lady for letting her pig eat the rooster!), then a little boy (taken from the third lady for losing the pig), then an enormous wolf-dog (traded for the boy by a fourth lady). Later, quite inexplicably, the wolf-dog jumps out of the bag and pushes the bear into the water. The bear cries at his misfortune. The end.
In El-Turk’s setting, Game 1 is “a pitching and listening exercise, which might also represent the bear’s random thoughts.” It takes the form of a multi-group canon. Within each group, one performer reads an excerpt from the French story, while the others musically elongate certain words or syllables, building up a texture. A flamboyant solo bass further comments on these events, imitating several characters or animals such as chipmonk and horse.
Game 2 is, in the composer’s words, “a test for timing and the tricks and surprises used by it. Here, the bear is trotting along in the woods, hence the regular rhythm.” A rollicking tune is heard from several soloists describing the animals in the bag of mischief, including the sounds they make, until the end when the rollicking tune seems to melt.
Game 3 is a lullaby or berceuse, “mostly to aid sensitivity to the discrete or significant changes in harmonic colour. The aim is to put the bear to sleep to stop him crying.” Several groups in the choir glissando and slide around in a yawning fashion, against which is heard a sing-song-y tune, until finally the basses usher in the sound of the little bear snoring.
-- Perry Townsend
Game 1
L’Ours Réglisse et le Sac à malices ne se promenait jamais sans son sac à malices et personne ne savait ce qu’il cachait dedans.
The Licorice Bear and the bag of mischief never walked around without his bag of mischief and no one knew what he was hiding inside.
Or un jour, en creusant un trou près d’un arbre, l’Ours Réglisse trouva une abeille. Il la mit dans son sac et prit la route.
One day, digging a hole near a tree, the Licorice Bear found a bee. He put it in his bag and hit the road.
Il marcha, marcha longtemps et arriva enfin devant une maison. Dans la maison, il y avait une petite femme noire qui balayait le plancher.
He walked, walked a long time and finally arrived in front of a house. In the house there was a little black woman sweeping the floor.
L’Ours Réglisse et le Sac à malices ne se promenait jamais sans son sac à malices…
The Licorice Bear and the bag of mischief never walked around without his bag of mischief…
Game 2
L’ours Réglisse allait sur le chemin
Il trouva une abeille
Pour l’abeille, il eut un vieux coq
Tra la la la la! Boq boq boq boq boq!
The Licorice Bear was going on the way
He found a bee
For the bee, he had an old rooster
Tra la la la la! Boq boq boq boq boq!
L’ours Réglisse allait sur le chemin
Il trouva une abeille
Pour l’abeille, il eut un vieux coq
Pour le vieux coq, il eut un gros cochon gras
Tra la la la! Oink oink oink!
The Licorice Bear was going on the way
He found a bee
For the bee, he had an old rooster
For the old rooster, he had a big fat pig
Tra la la la! Oink oink oink!
L’ours Réglisse allait sur le chemin
Il trouva une abeille
Pour l’abeille, il eut un vieux coq
Pour le vieux coq, il eut un gros cochon gras
Pour le cochon gras, il eut un petit garçon
Tra la la la la! Ga ga ga boo boo boo!
The Licorice Bear was going on the way
He found a bee
For the bee, he had an old rooster
For the old rooster, he had a big fat pig
For the fat pig, he had a little boy
Tra la la la la! Ga ga ga boo boo boo!
Game 3
Une abeille ...glou...glou...glou...
Un vieux coq glou...glou
Un gr...gr...gros...co...cochon...glou...glou
Un....un...glou glou glou glou...
A bee… gobble… gobble… gobble…
An old rooster gobble… gobble
A b-b-b-big… pig… gobble… gobble
A… a… gobble gobble gobble gobble…
Et puis floc!...plus rien du tout!
Et mon histoire est finie...ni...ni...ni!
And then plop! … nothing at all!
And my story is over…er…er…er!
Conductor: Perry Townsend
L’Ours Réglisse et le sac à malices (trans. “Réglisse the Bear and the Bag of Mischief”) is a set of three tableaux or games for mixed choir by Bushra El-Turk, setting portions of Lily Boulay’s story of the same name, chosen from a selection of French children’s fairy tales.
The story revolves around a bear who has never shown anyone what’s in his bag of mischief, until this day when he trots and sings through the woods, and leaves the bag with several ladies he meets in their houses. Each time, a creature is in the bag, which is subsequently lost by the lady. First a bumble bee, then a rooster (taken from the first lady for losing the bee), then a big pig (taken from the second lady for letting her pig eat the rooster!), then a little boy (taken from the third lady for losing the pig), then an enormous wolf-dog (traded for the boy by a fourth lady). Later, quite inexplicably, the wolf-dog jumps out of the bag and pushes the bear into the water. The bear cries at his misfortune. The end.
In El-Turk’s setting, Game 1 is “a pitching and listening exercise, which might also represent the bear’s random thoughts.” It takes the form of a multi-group canon. Within each group, one performer reads an excerpt from the French story, while the others musically elongate certain words or syllables, building up a texture. A flamboyant solo bass further comments on these events, imitating several characters or animals such as chipmonk and horse.
Game 2 is, in the composer’s words, “a test for timing and the tricks and surprises used by it. Here, the bear is trotting along in the woods, hence the regular rhythm.” A rollicking tune is heard from several soloists describing the animals in the bag of mischief, including the sounds they make, until the end when the rollicking tune seems to melt.
Game 3 is a lullaby or berceuse, “mostly to aid sensitivity to the discrete or significant changes in harmonic colour. The aim is to put the bear to sleep to stop him crying.” Several groups in the choir glissando and slide around in a yawning fashion, against which is heard a sing-song-y tune, until finally the basses usher in the sound of the little bear snoring.
-- Perry Townsend
Game 1
L’Ours Réglisse et le Sac à malices ne se promenait jamais sans son sac à malices et personne ne savait ce qu’il cachait dedans.
The Licorice Bear and the bag of mischief never walked around without his bag of mischief and no one knew what he was hiding inside.
Or un jour, en creusant un trou près d’un arbre, l’Ours Réglisse trouva une abeille. Il la mit dans son sac et prit la route.
One day, digging a hole near a tree, the Licorice Bear found a bee. He put it in his bag and hit the road.
Il marcha, marcha longtemps et arriva enfin devant une maison. Dans la maison, il y avait une petite femme noire qui balayait le plancher.
He walked, walked a long time and finally arrived in front of a house. In the house there was a little black woman sweeping the floor.
L’Ours Réglisse et le Sac à malices ne se promenait jamais sans son sac à malices…
The Licorice Bear and the bag of mischief never walked around without his bag of mischief…
Game 2
L’ours Réglisse allait sur le chemin
Il trouva une abeille
Pour l’abeille, il eut un vieux coq
Tra la la la la! Boq boq boq boq boq!
The Licorice Bear was going on the way
He found a bee
For the bee, he had an old rooster
Tra la la la la! Boq boq boq boq boq!
L’ours Réglisse allait sur le chemin
Il trouva une abeille
Pour l’abeille, il eut un vieux coq
Pour le vieux coq, il eut un gros cochon gras
Tra la la la! Oink oink oink!
The Licorice Bear was going on the way
He found a bee
For the bee, he had an old rooster
For the old rooster, he had a big fat pig
Tra la la la! Oink oink oink!
L’ours Réglisse allait sur le chemin
Il trouva une abeille
Pour l’abeille, il eut un vieux coq
Pour le vieux coq, il eut un gros cochon gras
Pour le cochon gras, il eut un petit garçon
Tra la la la la! Ga ga ga boo boo boo!
The Licorice Bear was going on the way
He found a bee
For the bee, he had an old rooster
For the old rooster, he had a big fat pig
For the fat pig, he had a little boy
Tra la la la la! Ga ga ga boo boo boo!
Game 3
Une abeille ...glou...glou...glou...
Un vieux coq glou...glou
Un gr...gr...gros...co...cochon...glou...glou
Un....un...glou glou glou glou...
A bee… gobble… gobble… gobble…
An old rooster gobble… gobble
A b-b-b-big… pig… gobble… gobble
A… a… gobble gobble gobble gobble…
Et puis floc!...plus rien du tout!
Et mon histoire est finie...ni...ni...ni!
And then plop! … nothing at all!
And my story is over…er…er…er!
DADA NY '15, music by Daniel Andor-Ardó, text by Zsuzsanna Ardó
Conductor: Perry Townsend
Order from disorder. The celebration of the seemingly nonsensical.
These notions, which were my inspiration, also seem like apt symbols of C4 and its unique mission and organizational structure. Using words by Zsuzsanna Ardó which were in turn based on the C4 manifesto, the piece is implicitly and explicitly a celebration of C4, written for the ensemble's tenth anniversary season. Structured into sections using two, three or four parts, the voices sometimes chase each other relentlessly and at other times come together in perfect homophony. With many moments requiring virtuosity, the music invites the choir to meet the challenge with C4's characteristic exuberance.
— Daniel Andor-Ardó
chorus as and conductors who
chorus is its ensemble ongoing the the
collectively its only conductors the
operated a in and chorus of the
is by functioning its ongoing
is collectively only right also chorus and
— Zsuzsanna Ardó
Conductor: Perry Townsend
Order from disorder. The celebration of the seemingly nonsensical.
These notions, which were my inspiration, also seem like apt symbols of C4 and its unique mission and organizational structure. Using words by Zsuzsanna Ardó which were in turn based on the C4 manifesto, the piece is implicitly and explicitly a celebration of C4, written for the ensemble's tenth anniversary season. Structured into sections using two, three or four parts, the voices sometimes chase each other relentlessly and at other times come together in perfect homophony. With many moments requiring virtuosity, the music invites the choir to meet the challenge with C4's characteristic exuberance.
— Daniel Andor-Ardó
chorus as and conductors who
chorus is its ensemble ongoing the the
collectively its only conductors the
operated a in and chorus of the
is by functioning its ongoing
is collectively only right also chorus and
— Zsuzsanna Ardó
Voices Live Forever, Trevor Weston
Conductor: Karen Siegel
Trevor Weston’s “Voices Live Forever” sets a poem by Slvanus John Weston, the composer’s grandfather. It hauntingly remembers “the voices we knew and loved,” meditating on the music of nature and the sounds of musicians, concluding–“We hear their voices everywhere… their echo never dies.” The straightforwardness of the work’s homophonic texture is shaken up by constantly shifting meters, while the prevalence of open fifths lends nuanced solemnity to the harmonic language. "Voices Live Forever" was commissioned by the Manhattan Choral Ensemble for The Many Hills Songbook.
— Karen Siegel
The voices of those we knew and loved
remain with us for aye.
Though Time might dim the memory of
a face it bore away.
We hear them in the mighty winds
that frets the raging seas.
Or gently whispers in the grass,
Or sings among the trees.
We hear them in the mighty roar
Or in the muted tone
of rivers singing o’re their banks,
Or gliding ‘round a stone.
We hear them singing in the rain
Now coming o’re the hill.
Their merry chatter in the stream
that flows beside the mill.
We hear them in the varying tones
Of bow, and harp, and lute.
A subtle, sweet, yet potent force
Which charms both man and brute.
We hear their voices everywhere
That’s bound by sea and skies.
Their breath is in the air we breathe,
Their echo never dies.
—Sylvanus John Weston
The Many Hills Songbook, licensed for non-commercial distribution through the Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 International License.
Conductor: Karen Siegel
Trevor Weston’s “Voices Live Forever” sets a poem by Slvanus John Weston, the composer’s grandfather. It hauntingly remembers “the voices we knew and loved,” meditating on the music of nature and the sounds of musicians, concluding–“We hear their voices everywhere… their echo never dies.” The straightforwardness of the work’s homophonic texture is shaken up by constantly shifting meters, while the prevalence of open fifths lends nuanced solemnity to the harmonic language. "Voices Live Forever" was commissioned by the Manhattan Choral Ensemble for The Many Hills Songbook.
— Karen Siegel
The voices of those we knew and loved
remain with us for aye.
Though Time might dim the memory of
a face it bore away.
We hear them in the mighty winds
that frets the raging seas.
Or gently whispers in the grass,
Or sings among the trees.
We hear them in the mighty roar
Or in the muted tone
of rivers singing o’re their banks,
Or gliding ‘round a stone.
We hear them singing in the rain
Now coming o’re the hill.
Their merry chatter in the stream
that flows beside the mill.
We hear them in the varying tones
Of bow, and harp, and lute.
A subtle, sweet, yet potent force
Which charms both man and brute.
We hear their voices everywhere
That’s bound by sea and skies.
Their breath is in the air we breathe,
Their echo never dies.
—Sylvanus John Weston
The Many Hills Songbook, licensed for non-commercial distribution through the Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 International License.
Lest We Be Scattered, Brian Mountford (world premiere)
Conductor: Daniel Andor-Ardó
When thinking about compositional ideas for what was originally planned to be a concert on the theme of Language, both Alex and I were drawn to the story of the Tower of Babel. At a group meeting, Alex said he was working on a piece about Babel. I figured I would need to pick another topic. But the group liked the idea of two related pieces so much that instead we wound up using Babel as the name of the whole concert. Then the pandemic arrived, and the concert was canceled only days before it was to happen. But in the intervening time, the topic of social dissolution central to the Babel story has sadly not lost any of its relevance.
For a while, I have been mulling over how to involve the audience in our performances. Thanks to Tim Brown for getting me started on that train of thought. Eventually, I decided on the most direct involvement possible. There are usually enough singers in our audience that giving you all a simple melody to sing with us should be no problem. I look forward to hearing the result. No pressure.
Thanks also to Leonore Nelson for pointing out at an early stage that altos are quite capable of playing God.
— Brian Mountford
Now the whole earth was of one language and one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar, and the dwelt there. And they said to one another, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower reaching up to the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered.” And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the children of mankind had built for themselves. And the Lord said, “Behold, the people are one, and this they began to do. And now nothing they can dream will be impossible. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their speech, that they may not understand one another, and let them be scattered over all the face of the earth.”
Conductor: Daniel Andor-Ardó
When thinking about compositional ideas for what was originally planned to be a concert on the theme of Language, both Alex and I were drawn to the story of the Tower of Babel. At a group meeting, Alex said he was working on a piece about Babel. I figured I would need to pick another topic. But the group liked the idea of two related pieces so much that instead we wound up using Babel as the name of the whole concert. Then the pandemic arrived, and the concert was canceled only days before it was to happen. But in the intervening time, the topic of social dissolution central to the Babel story has sadly not lost any of its relevance.
For a while, I have been mulling over how to involve the audience in our performances. Thanks to Tim Brown for getting me started on that train of thought. Eventually, I decided on the most direct involvement possible. There are usually enough singers in our audience that giving you all a simple melody to sing with us should be no problem. I look forward to hearing the result. No pressure.
Thanks also to Leonore Nelson for pointing out at an early stage that altos are quite capable of playing God.
— Brian Mountford
Now the whole earth was of one language and one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar, and the dwelt there. And they said to one another, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower reaching up to the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered.” And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the children of mankind had built for themselves. And the Lord said, “Behold, the people are one, and this they began to do. And now nothing they can dream will be impossible. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their speech, that they may not understand one another, and let them be scattered over all the face of the earth.”
Tears, Apples and Stones
text by Zsuzsanna Ardó, music by Jonathan David
Tears, Apples, and Stones: A Choral Triptych combines three movements resulting from collaborations with visual artist, curator, and writer, Zsuzsanna Ardó, over the years 2012-2018. Each movement, with Zsuzanna’s texts, provided the audio component of a different European installation curated by her. The music was presented via a recorded loop. C4’s performances this week are the first public presentations of the 2nd and 3rd movements.
The first movement, Könnyek, Almák és Kövek (Tears, Apples and Stones) was composed for the eponymous installation at the At Home Gallery in Šamorín, Slovakia, in September 2012. The event was repeated at Westminster Palace in January 2015. The public performance premiere was by C4 in Medford, MA, in November, 2013. The piece is wordless, consisting solely of vowel sounds, taken from the Hungarian words of the title.
Coding Me, Coding You was first presented at the Colours International Festival in Andorra in July, 2018. Zsuzsanna’s text centers around the many different symbols the Nazis used to code the various “degenerate” people of Nazi Germany. The perverse laundry list of color codes is sung by the chorus (lower voices) alternating with an ironic “barbershop quartet” love plea, which highlights the absurdity of the Nazis’ calculated exercise.
The closing movement, Mirror, Mirror, was first heard at the eponymous exhibition at the European Parliament in Brussels in September, 2016. The text centers around the dangers of casual racism and the far less casual consequences it can lead to. The central words, beginning with a slightly disturbing conversation with a hairstylist and leading ultimately to “scars scorching the sky,” are spoken by a reciter, in English. The choral text consists of the title words translated into ten different languages, each sung by a different soloist.
— Jonathan David
About the Composer
Jonathan David’s music has been described as “fierce,” “ecstatic,” “Romantic,” and “sophisticated.” His choral work has been performed throughout the United States and Europe at such venues as Duke Chapel and the Cathedral of Notre Dame-Paris.
His first solo CD, The Persistence of Song, featuring solo vocal works with piano, was released on Centaur Music in January 2020. Maury Yeston, Tony Award-Winning composer-lyricist, described it as “masterful.”
Jonathan served as Composer-in-Residence for The Greenwich Village Singers. From 2005-2011 he was the Classical Editor for the internet music service, Napster. Jonathan’s music is published by Oxford University Press, See-A-Dot Music, and Paraclete Press, and is also available through his management, Black Tea Music.
Jonathan was born in New Haven, Connecticut, raised in Brooklyn, and currently lives in Chapel Hill, NC.
text by Zsuzsanna Ardó, music by Jonathan David
Tears, Apples, and Stones: A Choral Triptych combines three movements resulting from collaborations with visual artist, curator, and writer, Zsuzsanna Ardó, over the years 2012-2018. Each movement, with Zsuzanna’s texts, provided the audio component of a different European installation curated by her. The music was presented via a recorded loop. C4’s performances this week are the first public presentations of the 2nd and 3rd movements.
The first movement, Könnyek, Almák és Kövek (Tears, Apples and Stones) was composed for the eponymous installation at the At Home Gallery in Šamorín, Slovakia, in September 2012. The event was repeated at Westminster Palace in January 2015. The public performance premiere was by C4 in Medford, MA, in November, 2013. The piece is wordless, consisting solely of vowel sounds, taken from the Hungarian words of the title.
Coding Me, Coding You was first presented at the Colours International Festival in Andorra in July, 2018. Zsuzsanna’s text centers around the many different symbols the Nazis used to code the various “degenerate” people of Nazi Germany. The perverse laundry list of color codes is sung by the chorus (lower voices) alternating with an ironic “barbershop quartet” love plea, which highlights the absurdity of the Nazis’ calculated exercise.
The closing movement, Mirror, Mirror, was first heard at the eponymous exhibition at the European Parliament in Brussels in September, 2016. The text centers around the dangers of casual racism and the far less casual consequences it can lead to. The central words, beginning with a slightly disturbing conversation with a hairstylist and leading ultimately to “scars scorching the sky,” are spoken by a reciter, in English. The choral text consists of the title words translated into ten different languages, each sung by a different soloist.
— Jonathan David
- Könnyek, Almák és Kövek
- Coding Me, Coding You
baby, let me love you
let me paint you, dear
your eyes, hair, lips and cheeks
green, pink, red, black, brown
yellow and blue
baby, let me love you
let me paint you, dear
colours
and shapes
badges of shame
judged by a glance
signs of hazard
branding stigma
triangles*
coding you
Spy? Coding you... red.
Traitor? Coding you... red.
Deserter? Coding you... red.
Criminal? Coding you... red.
POW? Coding you... red.
Anarchist? Coding you... red.
Communist? Coding you... red.
Socialist? Coding you... red.
Freemason? Coding you... red.
Trade unionist? Coding you... red.
Social democrat? Coding you... red.
baby, let me love you
let me paint you, dear
your eyes, hair, lips and cheeks
green, pink, red, black, brown
yellow and blue
baby, let me love you
let me paint you, dear
colours
and shapes
badges of shame
judged by a glance
signs of hazard
branding stigma
triangles
coding you
Rapist? Coding you... pink.
Sexual offender? Coding you... pink.
Paedophile? Coding you... pink.
Zoophiles? Coding you... pink.
Homosexual? Coding you... pink.
Convict? Coding you... green.
Lazy? Coding you... black.
Antisocial? Coding you... black.
Disabled? Coding you... black.
Mentally ill? Coding you... black.
Prostitute? Coding you... black.
Roma woman? Coding you... black.
Drug addict? Coding you... black.
Alcoholic? Coding you... black.
Vagrant? Coding you... black.
Beggar? Coding you... black.
Draft evader? Coding you... black.
Pacifist? Coding you... black.
Roma men? Coding you... brown.
Jehovah’s witness? Coding you... purple.
Adventist? Coding you... purple.
Baptist? Coding you... purple.
Bible student? Coding you... purple.
Pacifist? Coding you... purple.
Jewish? Coding you... yellow.
Emigrant? Coding you... blue.
baby, let me love you
let me paint you, dear
your eyes, hair, lips and cheeks
green, pink, red, black, brown
yellow and blue
baby, let me love you
let me paint you, dear
colours
and shapes
badges of shame
judged by a glance
signs of hazard
branding stigma
triangles
coding me
baby, let me love you
let me paint you, dear
purple, black, red, brown, yellow, blue, pink and green
baby, let me love you
let me paint you, dear
without coding you
without coding me - Mirror Mirror
i’m looking
at the hairdresser
in the mirror
she’s cutting my hair
with flair
she talks to me
with ease and candour
about her life
why she doesn’t like
the area where she lives nearby
mirror, mirror
“oh, a lot of gypsies... live there”
she says
and stabs
the scissors in my wet, dark hair
by my temple
doesn’t stop
to elaborate
she does not feel
the need
to explain
her comment any further
mirror, mirror
i’m looking
at myself
in the mirror
assumed co-opted
yes she takes it for granted
that i resonate
with her values
her stance implicit in the comment
she just said
listening to her chat
staring at the scissors
stabbing, at a frenetic pace, around
my face
mirror, mirror
spontaneous and casual
everyday racism
– no surprise
nonetheless
speechless
aghast
for a while
looking at her charming glance
her face
in the mirror our gaze interlaced
and i remark
looks so much like a roma
and perhaps... so do i
then i hear
the social anthropologist in me
the open-ended question
what sort of neighbours
are they i ask
“oh” she smiles
“i get on with them just fine
but... you know...”
and hurdles at me
a very different smile
and stabs hard by my eye
mirror, mirror
how long is the journey
from the knowing smile
of the “but you know...” kind
to nuremberg 1935
the absurd laws
that define ‘others’
the outcasts
alien blood
nonsensical racial
purity theory
the terrible irony
romany
an indo-european language
as ‘aryan’ as german, english, french
and most of the rest
nonetheless
deprived
of their civil rights
mirror, mirror
the journey from here
to 1944
that night
swift enough
auschwitz-birkenau
clouds fragile
smoke scars the sleepy sky
thousands devoured
that night
as before and thereafter
mirror, mirror on the wall
how long is the journey
how fragile
from the knowing smile
of that kind
to social exclusion
loss of rights
and
ultimately
scars scorching the sky
About the Composer
Jonathan David’s music has been described as “fierce,” “ecstatic,” “Romantic,” and “sophisticated.” His choral work has been performed throughout the United States and Europe at such venues as Duke Chapel and the Cathedral of Notre Dame-Paris.
His first solo CD, The Persistence of Song, featuring solo vocal works with piano, was released on Centaur Music in January 2020. Maury Yeston, Tony Award-Winning composer-lyricist, described it as “masterful.”
Jonathan served as Composer-in-Residence for The Greenwich Village Singers. From 2005-2011 he was the Classical Editor for the internet music service, Napster. Jonathan’s music is published by Oxford University Press, See-A-Dot Music, and Paraclete Press, and is also available through his management, Black Tea Music.
Jonathan was born in New Haven, Connecticut, raised in Brooklyn, and currently lives in Chapel Hill, NC.
Don't Call Me Beautiful, Karen Siegel (world premiere)
Conductor: Daniel Andor-Ardó
Too often, people give women compliments on their good looks, not realizing that to call attention to their image is a put-down in that context. A singer is told she looked beautiful onstage, without any mention of how her voice sounded. A composer is introduced casually as “adorable,” rather than mentioning her latest project. A young woman is praised for her beauty at a coming of age ceremony, rather than being praised for her intellect and maturity. It’s not ok to compliment a woman’s physical beauty at the expense of noticing her mind, personality, and achievements. When a compliment is given to a woman, it sends a message about what aspects of her person are valued. "Don’t Call Me Beautiful" celebrates women’s insights and perspectives.
— Karen Siegel
Don’t call me beautiful—
Listen to my words.
Don’t call me beautiful—
Listen to my voice.
Don’t expect me to be quiet;
I’ve important thoughts to share.
Don’t call me beautiful—
Listen to my words.
Don’t call me beautiful—
Listen to my voice.
I may see what you see through.
I may hear the what you ignore.
Don’t call me beautiful—
Listen to my words.
Don’t call me beautiful—
Listen to my voice.
— Karen Siegel
Conductor: Daniel Andor-Ardó
Too often, people give women compliments on their good looks, not realizing that to call attention to their image is a put-down in that context. A singer is told she looked beautiful onstage, without any mention of how her voice sounded. A composer is introduced casually as “adorable,” rather than mentioning her latest project. A young woman is praised for her beauty at a coming of age ceremony, rather than being praised for her intellect and maturity. It’s not ok to compliment a woman’s physical beauty at the expense of noticing her mind, personality, and achievements. When a compliment is given to a woman, it sends a message about what aspects of her person are valued. "Don’t Call Me Beautiful" celebrates women’s insights and perspectives.
— Karen Siegel
Don’t call me beautiful—
Listen to my words.
Don’t call me beautiful—
Listen to my voice.
Don’t expect me to be quiet;
I’ve important thoughts to share.
Don’t call me beautiful—
Listen to my words.
Don’t call me beautiful—
Listen to my voice.
I may see what you see through.
I may hear the what you ignore.
Don’t call me beautiful—
Listen to my words.
Don’t call me beautiful—
Listen to my voice.
— Karen Siegel
Leonora, Vera Lugo (East Coast premiere)
Conductor: Karen Siegel
When no one will know when you go to bed, why should you?
Leonora came to life in three stages: first as a poem written during the 2011 Southwest blackout, then as a song for toy piano and solo voice, and finally as a choral piece featuring a cyclical ostinato and tongue-in-cheek yawning. Leonora is a little girl who doesn’t want to go to bed; meanwhile, the omniscient moon watches over the Earth. It is a diorama of the small and the large, the micro and the macro, humanity and the universe.
— Vera Lugo
Leonora wept and said
“All the world is in my head!
How am I to sleep?” she cried,
As the world went slowly by.
All the colors, lights, and sounds
Keep the girl from settling down
Into her waiting bed
Will she ever rest her head?
No one in the world will know
When she finally sleeps; and so
Leonora cries and says,
“I will never go to bed!”
In dreams we see ourselves from a different perspective
And the things that we knew have changed
But somewhere beyond the horizon that glows
The moon is the same
She watches us sleep
She follows our stories
She knows of our triumphs and fears,
And keeps them safe
And nobody knows of the moon’s devotion
As she glides over the ocean
But one little face is watching her back
Leonora is watching her back from the twilight of sleep!
She heaves a great sigh and opens her eyes wide
Leonora cries and says,
“All the world’s STILL in my head!
Why must I be forced to sleep
When the moon is watching me?”
No one but the moon will know
When she finally sleeps and so
Leonora cries and says,
“I will never go to bed!”
— Vera Lugo
Conductor: Karen Siegel
When no one will know when you go to bed, why should you?
Leonora came to life in three stages: first as a poem written during the 2011 Southwest blackout, then as a song for toy piano and solo voice, and finally as a choral piece featuring a cyclical ostinato and tongue-in-cheek yawning. Leonora is a little girl who doesn’t want to go to bed; meanwhile, the omniscient moon watches over the Earth. It is a diorama of the small and the large, the micro and the macro, humanity and the universe.
— Vera Lugo
Leonora wept and said
“All the world is in my head!
How am I to sleep?” she cried,
As the world went slowly by.
All the colors, lights, and sounds
Keep the girl from settling down
Into her waiting bed
Will she ever rest her head?
No one in the world will know
When she finally sleeps; and so
Leonora cries and says,
“I will never go to bed!”
In dreams we see ourselves from a different perspective
And the things that we knew have changed
But somewhere beyond the horizon that glows
The moon is the same
She watches us sleep
She follows our stories
She knows of our triumphs and fears,
And keeps them safe
And nobody knows of the moon’s devotion
As she glides over the ocean
But one little face is watching her back
Leonora is watching her back from the twilight of sleep!
She heaves a great sigh and opens her eyes wide
Leonora cries and says,
“All the world’s STILL in my head!
Why must I be forced to sleep
When the moon is watching me?”
No one but the moon will know
When she finally sleeps and so
Leonora cries and says,
“I will never go to bed!”
— Vera Lugo
Roster
Soprano
Alto
Tenor
Bass
Soprano
- Emma Daniels
- Emily Drossell
- Karen Siegel
Alto
- Katherine Doe
- Jamie Klenetsky Fay
- Leslie Frost
- Jeryl Johnston
Tenor
- Daniel Castellanos
- Mario Gullo
- Perry Townsend
Bass
- Daniel Andor-Ardó
- TJ Sclafani
- George Wright
About C4
C4 is a unique, award-winning chorus directed and operated collectively by its singing members, functioning not only as a presenting ensemble in its own right but also as an ongoing workshop and recital chorus for the emerging composers and conductors who form the core of the group.
It is the first organization of its kind and one of the few choral groups in the nation to focus exclusively on the music of our time.
C4 is a unique, award-winning chorus directed and operated collectively by its singing members, functioning not only as a presenting ensemble in its own right but also as an ongoing workshop and recital chorus for the emerging composers and conductors who form the core of the group.
It is the first organization of its kind and one of the few choral groups in the nation to focus exclusively on the music of our time.
P.S. If you feel moved to make a donation to C4's "virtual tip jar," feel free to Venmo us at @c4ensemble. You can also donate via PayPal (info@c4ensemble.org), or via credit card.
