ReCurrent by Ben Morris

Ben Morris for the ReSound Duo

ReCurrent

for Percussion and Soprano texts by Stephen Crane and Charlotte Mew

ÂŠ!May 2014 Ben Morris Music www.benjaminmorrismusic.com bmorriscomposer@gmail.com 973-722-0460

for the ReSound Duo

Ben MORRIS ReCurrent

for Soprano and Percussion I. Pursuing the Horizon II. Not for that City Duration: ca. 9’00” (total) I. ca. 4’00”

II. ca. 5’00”

Instrument key: • 2 Cymbals (ride and china) • Triangle • Temple Blocks (5) • Snare • 2 Bongos • 2 Congas (or 2 larger bongos) • 2 Small gongs • Crotales • Vibraphone

Texts Pursuing the Horizon (1895) by Stephen Crane (1871-1900)

by Charlotte Mew (1869-1928)

I saw a man pursuing the horizon; Round and round they sped. I was disturbed at this; I accosted the man. “It is futile,” I said, “You can never —” “You lie,” he cried, And ran on.

Not for that City (1913)

Not for that city of the level sun, Its golden streets and glittering gates ablaze— The shadeless, sleepless city of white days, White nights, or nights and days that are as one— We weary, when all is said, all thought, all done. We strain our eyes beyond this dusk to see What, from the threshold of eternity We shall step into. No, I think we shun The splendor of that everlasting glare, The clamor of that never-ending song. And if for anything we greatly long, It is for some remote and quiet stair Which winds to silence and a space for sleep Too sound for waking and for dreams too deep.

Program Notes: These two poems are tied narratively in this work. The repetitive, frustrated, argumentative tone of the first movement, conveyed in the pursuant percussion, dry rhythmic gestures, and short vocal phrases, contrasts with the glaring second movement, with vibes and crotales providing a falsely shimmering backdrop of an idealized heaven. The first movement expresses the insane, repeated behavior (hence the title ReCurrent), of the character in his pursuit of the metaphorical, unreachable horizon. The second movement explores the traditional notion of heaven as opposed to a realistic desire for peace and eternal quiet. The image of “strain[ing] our eyes beyond this dusk” suggests the endless pursuit of something unreachable and idealized. The fervent, and perhaps outdated, defense of one particular belief or interpretation of heaven, and the futile effort to fulfill and validate that idea, is challenged by the reality in place of that exaggerated delusion.

for the ReSound Duo

ReCurrent for Soprano and Percussion Ben Morris

I. Pursuing the Horizon Stephen Crane (1871-1900)

10" G.P. 3" q=84

U Ú

U ∑

4 4

Soprano

5 4

∑

distant, mellow (snares oﬀ) Close to edge of rim

G.P. 3" 10" Temple block

U ∑ / æ) æ

Percussion

4 œ œ œ œœœœœœ œ œœœ\ \ 5 4 4 J

) ææ

5 3

pppp

slight rit. 4

q=84

5 &4

4 4

∑

3 4

∑

>j ) ) œ > œ >) œœœœœœ 3 œ ‰ Œ Œ ) ) ) 4œ J > 5 7 mp

(Close to edge) On rim

> 5 4 \ \ \ \ \ \ œ œœœœœœœœœ œ /4 4 œJ ‰ Œ Ó ææ 6 3 5 pp mf

7" G.P. 3"

A U 3 ∑ 4

U Ú &

q=84

4 4

∑

7" high bongo sticks on head

on edge of head

f ææ

w / ææ

G.P. 3"

U ∑ 3 >) ) ) ) >) ) > ) ) 4 ) ) ™ >ææ )))) 4 4) ) )™

fp 5

f 3

ponderous q=60 p

7" 12

q=84

U Ú

∑ &

3 4

∑

4 ∑ 2 ∑ 3 Œ Œ bœ 4 4 4 4 4

7" congas (w/ vibe mallets) low conga Triangle sticks on edges

>O ! f ææ

/ mf

w ææ

4 4

B 4 & 4 œ #œ ˙

saw

q=84

2 #-œ3 3 ∑ 4#œ œ 4 - - Bongos/Congas

a man

4Ó 4

pur-su-ing

#œ.

#œ3.

3 4 œ.

4 4

∑

pur-su-ing (close to edges)

j‰ Œ Ó 4 œ /4 b œ.

2 4

¿¿¿¿ O ¿ 3 4 4 4

>>>> 3 3 f f ≈‰ f f f ‰ Œ 4 œ œ œ œ Ó 4 4

∑

mp 3"

7" 23

shout

4 &4 Ó Y

4 /4

¿. > pur

- su

œ œ ) œ ) œ ) ) )

(to medium mallets) 3"

Frantic as possible, any order Congas, Bongos, Temple Blocks

>¿¿

U Ú

…

U ∑

f ff

C mp

10"

& œ ing p

U ∑

snares oﬀ

10" p

head

edge

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p q=88 ﬂoating over free percussion, wispy - enter over third iteration of swells

4 &4 ˙ pur

˙ -

#˙

sue

mf head

f œ œ œ œ œœœœœ )) )œ)))))) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )

(roughly follow soprano)

p head

œœœœœœœœœœœœœ ) ) ) ) œœœ p

3 28

& ˙

˙ mp

mf edge

mp 29

)

œ \ \) ) ) \) ) / œ‰ œ)))))))))))

head

œ)

œ) ) œ) œ œ œ mp

w pur

f head

edge

/ œ œ œ œ œ œ \ \ \) \ \ \ \) \ \ \ \) \ ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) \) \) \ ) \ )œ mf 30

f mf

. 3 nœJ 4

#w su

- ing

mf edge

edge

head

/ œœœœœ œ) f) ) f ) ) ) ) ) œœœœœœ\ ) )

‰

Œ 44

slightly out of rhythm, but conclusive

head

® ®≈ 3 œœœœ œ œ 4 ))))‰ Œ \

Œ 44

mf 32

expansive

4 œ œ œ #>œ Œ &4

3 4 ˙™

˙™

2 4˙

4œ Œ Ó 4

∑

3 4

the hor -i - zon

æ YY™æ™ ææ

L.R.

expansive (with mallets)

4 /4Ó

>O ¿ ¿ Y™ 3 4 ææ

L.R.

2 ææ¿ 4 f

(china)

(emerge from cymbal texture) Vibraphone

4w &4 æ æ p °

w mf

p choppy, excited 38

>œ. 3 &4

>3. œ

#œ. >

Round and

>œ.

round

>. œ

>œ.

round Round

œ œ œ >œ œ œ œ >œ f

> > > >œœ \ \ \ \ \ \ (rim click)

sub f

sub mf p

>. & œ #œ. >

2 4

∑

and round

3 >œ. 4

>. œ #œ ‰ #œJ 44 nw >.

Round and round

they

sped

center

edges

f f f f f >œ œ œ œ >œ œ œ œ œ œ 2 > > 3 / 4h h 4 f

>œ.

Round and

mf 41

bongos center

> > > > 3 ) ) ) ) /4 ) ) h p

œ #œ œ > >.

Round and

>œ.

& Ó

-œ

(snares on)

head

4w 4 æ æ

∑

sub f

sped

p Ÿ-~~~~~~~ ˙ bœ Œ

U Ú 7"

sped

Frantic as possible, any order Congas, Bongos, Temple Blocks

) œœœœ ) ) ) )

>j >™ ™ ™™ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ ˙ / R ææ 5 6 head

rim

mf q=120 frantic, stuttering mp

…

E G.P. 3" 48

U ∑

œ. ‰ ‰ ™ -œ œ ‰ ‰ œ. Œ J J J I

G.P. 3"

U ∑

was

(china)

¿ ‰™ R Œ mp

dis

> œ. ‰ ‰ ™ bœ. Œ J turbed

œ. ‰ ≈b>œ ™ -œ #-œ œj ‰ J . this

was dis-turbed

Crotales

>œ ‰ J Œ

œ ™ >œœ Œ

> ≈ œ™ Œ

> ‰ œJ Œ

œ ‰ J

q=112 boldly mf

harsh f

>˙ . >. # œ ™ n œ & ‰ J ‰ Œ ‰ nœJ ˙

this

dis -

F ˙ Œ œ œ

turbed

Y™ ææ

harsh > ¿ Y Y >œœ >œ ™ ææ J œ™ ‰ ≈ Œ ‰ & J (china)

ac -

sted

him

>> >> Œ / ))≈‰ ))) ‰ Œ ) ) ) ) Œ ))) ‰ Œ 45 Percussion

reproachful G mp 4 œJ. ‰ Œ œ. ‰ Œ 4 J

5 & 4<#>œ

Œ Ó

5 4

œ œ #œ œ#œ ˙

bœ

U 4 j Œ 4 œ. ‰ Œ >

5 4

∑

him

(china)

Bongos and Congas Crotales ¿ >œ >œ >œ > U > > >) >) >œ 5 œ >œ œ œ œ œœœ 5 4 4 œœ ‰Œ J4 ‰ J /Œ 4 Œ Œ œ / 4 ))) ‰ Œ ) ) Œ & 4 ‰ ‰ 3 3

#œ. ‰ >˙ ™ & J

nœ. ‰ >œ. ‰ J J

fu - tile

. Œ œJ ‰ #œJ. ‰ Œ œ. j ‰ #œj ‰ 45 .

fu - tile

4 4

∑

fu - tile

(on side)

>f . œ œœ œ J ‰ Œ /

Bongos and Congas

Vibraphone

œœ ˙

#œ œ #œ œ

œœ

5 œœ ‰ 4

>œ œ‰ J

>œ œÓ J

H mf . 4 j # œ Œ ‰ &4 #œ. œ. #œ > you can ne - ver

argumentative f

Œ œ. œ Œ .

ne - ver

#œ

#œ Œ

> #>œ. #œ. 5 Œ œ œ Œ 4 3

ne-ver

you lie!

china

Vibraphone

4 &4 ˙ >

… Ó

4 4

‰ ™ œr œ#œœœ Ó #œ œ >

#œœ …Œ Œ nœœ ##>œœœ ˙˙˙

>¿ >¿ … #œ 5 #œ / 4 # œœ

q=ca. 120 p

slight accel. f

‰ #œJ œ

5 &4 Œ

>œ. > >œ >œ #>œ . > j # œ œ 4 ‰ Œ J ‰ œ. ‰ Œ ‰ ™ R 4 J ‰ œ ‰ Œ œ. 43

ne-ver

you lie!

ne - ver

you

china

snare drum

> 5 ‰ / 4 œJ Œ

#œœ j nn# œœ Œ & #œ

‰

> #œ #œ

4Ó 4

∑

3 4

mf angry f

3 &4

>¿ >¿ … >¿ >¿ … Y ™ R4J ‰ O ‰ 4 ‰

gong

ne... scrape stick around edge

china

>¿ >¿ …

Vibraphone

lie! you lie!

#U w

slight rit. (an afterthought)

>-˙ 3 #œ 4 mf

you lie!

he cried

Y™ 3 /4

>œœ ˙˙ # # 4 Œ ‰ &# œ ˙ 4 J

Frantic as possible, any order Congas, Bongos, Temple Blocks

œœ ) œ ) œ ) ) )

3 4

∑

fff

emotionless, relentless p decresc.

76 q=112

& Œ snares oﬀ

#œ-

-œ #-œ 4 Œ 4

-œ #-œ

and

ran

-œ

ran

repeat cycle, don't change rate keep as consistant as possible

repeat ad inﬁnitum, relentless looping

center

/ í ™™œ

let ring out!

edge

œœœœœœ\ \

\ \ \ f f f f f f f f f f ) ) ) œ) ) ) ) )) )

œ œ œœ ) )

p (incorporate bongos and congas)

& Œ / œ)

-œ #-œ Œ

-œ -œ

ran on

Œ -œ #-œ Œ -œ -œ ran on

ran on

Œ -œ #-œ Œ -œ -œ ran on

ran on

œ œ) œ ™™î ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ

(whisper)

- - - - - - & Œ œ #œ Œ œ œ Œ œ #œ Œ œ œ ran on

ran on

pppp

ppp

gradually more wispy

ran on

¿ #¿ Œ

¿ ¿ Œ

¿ #¿ Œ

¿ ¿ 43

ran on

dissolve snare ﬁgure into:

4 / ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ 4 \ \ ‰ \J \ \ ‰ \J \ \ ‰ \J \ \ Œ J

3 &4

∑

3 4

U Ú

∑

7" high conga sticks in center

3 /4\ \

ppp

G.P. 3"

U ∑

G.P. 3"

U ∑ G.P. 3"

f æ

w æ

on edges

∑ Temple block

ææ ) f

U ∑

∑ 6"

G.P. 3"

ææ )

U ∑ n

∑ R.B.

>O p

II. Not for that City Charlotte Mew (1869-1928)

Patient, Thoughtful q=76 Soprano

4 &4

∑

5 4

∑

simile, with sparse pedal

4 Vibraphone & 4 ‰ j #œ { œ˙ œ p °

œ b˙˙ °

5 œ 4 œ œ̇ ™ nœJ ˙˙ ™™ œœ >

4 4

∑

b˙ 4 n˙ 4 ˙

˙˙ #˙

5 4

∑

œœ j 5 # ˙ œ œ ™ # œ œ ™ n œ ˙˙ ™™ { & <#>œ ## ˙˙˙ #œ n œ 4 œ ™ #œ œ ™ nœ ˙ ™ > ° 10

4 &4

∑

A U 3 4 4 ∑ 4

4 4

∑ ˙ ˙ b˙

#˙ n ˙œ #˙

3 U 4 4 ∑ 4

∑

3 U ∑&4 4 4 O O

Gongs

4 /4 Ó

q=ca. 84

∑

Vibraphone

sparkling, with warmth and some rubato

Crotales arco

4w & { 4 p

b œ œ #œ n œ œ œ œ 3 U 4 œ 4 ∑ 4 #œ œ œ œbœ œ#œ bœnœ #œ nœ nœ ˙ #œ œ#œ œ > p œ mf mf p p > p ° ° ° ° ° °

& {

& nnœœ

∑ #˙˙ ™™ ˙™ œ ææ

sub pp

∑

>œ #œ œ # œ > #œ >œ #œ > > # œ œ œ œ #œ #œ nœ #œ #œ #œ œ #œ #œ # œ n œ œ >œ p

œ ™ #œ œ #˙

Œ #œ œ œ #˙

∑

q=76 lyrical mp

Not for that

>œ ˙ ™ # n œ #œœ ˙˙™™ {&

… ##œœœœ Œ Ó >.

of the le

˙™

vel

sun

harsh mf

4 œ#œ œ œ 4 ˙™

gol-den streets

5 & 4 {

gates

U 4 næ! ™ Œ/ 4 Œ æ

Triangle

C U ™ Ó Œ œ œ ˙

∑

blaze

fresh mf

∑

ææ ˙ n w 4 œ 5 4 bœ œ œnœ œ œ œ 4 b w w b œnœ œ w

œ œ œ œ#œ œ œœ #nœœ-œ œ °

and glit' ring

Its

U ˙ œ 4w 4

œœ 5 ˙ ‰ 4

5 & 4 #œ œ ˙

œ 5 4

3 ˙ 5 œ œ #˙ ˙ œnœ 4 # œ œ n œ Œ # œœ Œ œœ n œ mf - - °

‰ j ##œœ ˙˙ nwœ °

pp 3

œ œœ œ >

The shade-less

sleep-less ci

j4 2 œ 4 œ ‰œ 4 ty

Vibraphone

∑

˙™ œ ˙ ææ ææ ææ U Ó mf

bœœœ œ

œœ œœ

œœ œ œ œ ˙ œœ œ ˙ ˙˙ 5

œ b#>œœœ

° mf

4 &4 ˙

4˙ & { 4 ˙˙ ˙ pp

D anxious mp #œ 4 œ nœ n5œ bœ bœ ˙ Œ œ bœ œ 4 stumbling forward

œ 3 4 Œ Œ œ #œ œ œ

white days

…3 ˙˙ 4 b ˙˙

white nights 3

œœ˙ #œ œ œ 42 œ œ œœ œ 44 ˙ bœ

or 3

∑ œ œ#œ œ#œ#œœœ œ œœ #œ mf °

days and nights that are one

ææ w 4 nbww 4 nw

sub p

we we - ary

… œœ Œ Ó bœœ. > f

10 39

Œ œ ˙ ˙

& ˙

when all

p . b œ 4 œ Œ Œ 4 Œ Œ œ œ Œ Ó 43 .

5 4˙

said

arco ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ O >¿ ™ ¿ Y ≈ Œ Ó Œ {/ 6 Ride

all thought Crotales arco

b-˙ ™ 5 Œ &4 f

all done

Œ 44 Œ ˙ ™

3 4

E dark

‰ œbœ 44 b˙ ™ 3

3 &4 Ó

œ œ bœ œ œ #˙

strain

our eyes

Œ #œ

be-yond this dusk

Vibraphone

3 & 4 {

∑

4 bœ 4bœ b œœ

œ˙ #œ n#nœœœœ #œœœ œœœœ œœœ # œœœœ#œœœ œœœœ œœœŒ œ b ˙˙ nœ œ œ œ sub mp pp p °

sub f

° 49

hopeful mf

& œ œ œ ˙™

see Ride/susp. cymbal (with mallets)

Y æ /æ

{ & bn ˙˙˙˙

œ nœ

what from

the

Y ææ

ææ n˙ ˙˙

thres-hold of

e - ter - n - ity sensitive

Vibraphone

° 52

3 > œ œ œ œ #œ œ #œ œ

œœ œ #œœœ œ #œœ #œ œ œ ˙ °

<#>w

œ we

#˙ step

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ # Ÿw~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~œ # œ # œ œ #œ œ #œ #œ œ 3

& <#>œ

#œ

step

nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ#œ œ 6 #œ œ œ œ œ#œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ nœ {& œ 6 #œ œ 3 ° °

G 56

#˙

più mf angry interruption

œ bœ œ #˙

œ œ œ œ ˙™

shall step in - to No! 6

hopeful

I think we

shun

the

3 b œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ bœ œ œ œbœ œ œ œ ˙™ ˙

#œœ œ bœœ # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ {& œ œ œ

più mf

° 59

& #œ œ œ œ œ œ splen

> w 5 œ- Œ œ- Œ 4

dor

of that

U ∑

4Ó 4

U ∑

˙™ ææ 4 &4

Œ œ Œ -

œe

œ œ œ { & #œœ bœ œœ œ œœ œ œ b œ œ mf p ° 63

p 3

ver

>œ… œœ Œ œ nœ

las

>œ œœ œ

simile

>œ >œ j U nY ™ œ 5 œ œ œ œ œ Œ Œ ‰ Œ/ œ œ 4 b œœ f >.

H >3 > Œ œ #œ œ œ œ the

ppp

Cymbal (scrape with triangle beater)

glare!

cla - mour

Vibraphone

ting

œ ææ p

>œ

3 #œ #œ 4#œ #œ 4 4 4

that

ne - ver end-ing

Cymbals, messy

œ ææ

‰ ppp

>¿ >¿ ff

‰

>¿ >¿

>¿ >¿ 3 YY ™™ ‰ 4 ææ

4 4

# ˙ #˙

#˙

#˙ 4 &4

∑

song Vibraphone …>¿¿. # ˙ ™ #n>˙˙ 4 J ‰ #˙ ™ & #n˙˙ { 4 ##˙˙ ™™ > fff

Crotales Gongs

##>˙˙ ˙˙

˙˙ ˙˙ Ó

… O Œ

‰ Oj Œ Ó

˙ U Ó

& p

q=ca. 84

accel.

∑

arco

∑

Vibraphone

>œœ U ˙˙˙ ™™™ œ b >œ n œ œ > n œ b > > œ œ n œ œ œ # œ œ nœ œ ˙™ œ œ nœ œ b œ bœ

sparkling, with warmth and some rubato

nœœ >œ œ bœ bœ & {

>œ œ nœ

J 78 q=76

pp lyrical

& ‰ bœJ And

œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ

œ if

for

an - y - thing we grea - tly

ææ bw {& # w w w

& œ™ some

ææ ww & n { b ww p

‰ bœ J

long

ææ ˙˙ ™™ ˙˙ ™™

>˙

j œ nœ

œ #œ is

for

re - mote and

œ bœ qui - et

2 4 œ

w stair

ææ b œ œœ œœ œœ œæ æ

5 4

which

œœ œœ ææJ

bœ>œœ ™™™ œ ™ æ mf

2 ˙˙˙˙ 4æ æ

5 4

A Tempo (q=76) tired, mysterious pp

K , 4 Œ bœ bœ œ œ œ 4

poco rit.

bœ 5 & 4 bœ bœ bœ b˙ ™ winds to si - lence

œ 5 b œ { & 4 œJ mp

æ … bbœæ˙ ™ ææ 44 Ó ˙ ˙ ææ ™

ææ bœœ ™™™ œœ ™

° rit.

space

ææ ˙˙ n # ˙˙

œ œ

sleep

Œ œ #œ œ too sound for

ææ w w w w

æ ˙˙˙æ ˙

q=60 pp

and a

>œ3 > œ œ bœ œ b˙ œ & >œ #œ 3

œ b˙ ™

wa-king wa-king wa-king and for dreams

ææ w w {& w w

ææ w bnbw w w

too deep dissolve to triplets

ææ ææ ˙˙˙ b˙˙ ˙ ˙˙ °

œœbœ œ œ œbœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

& <b>œ

∑

U ∑

∑ Crotales

{& œ

bœ

œ œ

œ œ 3

œbœ œ œ

œ œ 3

j‰ Œ œn

arco

U w-