Your text created/selected before class on Wednesday, Oct. 4; also, practice and listen to the Toch Geographical Fugue
Your piece completed in neat copy (by hand or computer): before class on Friday, Oct. 6
Bring 4 copies or else get me your completed, neat copy before noon.
Write a piece for multi-part speaking chorus (at least 2 independent parts).
Follow your muse but be practical: we are going to perform these as a class with little time to rehearse.
The focus here will be on rhythm, including rhythmic counterpoint, and texture.
If it’s essential to your conception, you may make some sort of pitch/timbre specifications
(using directions such as “high” or “whispered” or “”nasal”)
but otherwise your piece should not engage with pitch in any traditional sense.
Most likely you will start by assembling a text of about 15-50 words to use as raw material. Do this before Wednesday.
You may include any of the following kinds of text:
1. English used in nonsensical ways
Yet may we not see still the protosaurian form outlined aslumbered,
even in our own nightwatch by the sedge of the trouting stream…
2. Words or phrases from other languages
Caution: keep it simple and/or short, in mind of the limited time we have to rehearse.
Si bene quid memini, causae sunt quinque bibendi.
3. Vocables, which can include onomatopoeia
Brekekekex koax koax.
Whomp! Biff! Bam!
Shoo-be-doo-wop.
4. Gibberish
Yorn desh brin, fer ritt de glut ur glue,
Orn born gorn, de osh bosh mosh, be-dirk! be-dirk! be-dirk!
Have fun!