EllisLudwig-Leone
Anoteaboutthetext:
Thetextforthispieceiscomprisedentirelyofquestions,submittedtomebyfriendsandacquaintances, inresponsetotheprompt:“Whatarefivequestionsyouaskyourselfonagivenday?"Ireceivedabout150 questionsfrom30sources,rangingfromtheprofoundtotheverymundane
ThenexttaskwastoarrangethemintoalibrettoIwasstruckbythesearching,almostspiritualquality ofsomanyquestionslittlesnapshotsofpeoples’livesalljumbledtogetherIsortedthemintofivecategories: who,what,when,where,andwhy.Ilikedhowthisfive-partorganizationechoedthefamiliarstructureofan ordinaryCatholicMass,withitsKyrie,Gloria,Credo,Sanctus,andAgnusDei
AsIwaswriting,IwasremindedofaquotefromJamesBaldwin:“Youmustunderstandthatyourpainistrivial exceptinsofarasyoucanuseittoconnectwithotherpeople’spain”AsIarrangedandsettheanxietiesand curiositiesofmyfriendsandfamily,IfeltlikeIwasallowedaccesstosomethingsacredandpersonal. Myhopeinwritingthispieceistocelebrateandcombinetheselittlemomentsinordertofindsomething sharedanduniversal
1.who Whocares Whoactuallylistenstothis Whoknows
WhoisthispersoncallingfromSanDiego Whoatemyicecream Whowearshighheeledrainboots Whohastimetocareaboutthat
2what
WhatshouldIdo whatshouldIhaveforlunch Whatismakingmefeelbadrightnow whatshouldImakewithallthistofu WhatamIsupposedtobedoingwithmytime whatisthatinmyTupperware
Whatisthenextstep whatisthatsmell WhatifIfail whatdoesitsmelllike WhatdoIdo whatiscausingthemetallictasteinthesebeans
WhatamIdoing whatwhatwillIeatfordinner WhatwasIthinking
What'swrongwithme
3.when Whenwillitgetwarmagain WhenwillIfeelsettled WhenwillIfeelrelaxed WhenwillIbeoutofdebt WhenwillIgettoleavetheoffice
Whenwillitgetwarmagain WhenwillIwakeup WhenshouldIdolaundry WhenamIevergoingtostartmydreamproject
WhendidIlastshower Whenwilltheyfixthesubway Whenwillwehaveanewpresident Whenwillheeverleave
WhenwillIgetintojazz
WhenwillImeetsomeone WhendidIcallgrandma WhenwillIgo
4where
Wherearemykeys
Whereismyphone
Wherearemyshoes
Whereiseveryone
Whereismybike Whereismyphone
Wherearemynailclippers WhereshouldIgo
WherewillIlive WhereshouldIraisechildren WhereamIgoingtoendup
Wherearemykeys
Whereismyphone Wherearemyshoes Whereiseveryone
WhereshouldIgetlunch Where’sthebus WhereamIgoingtogo Whereismyphone Wherearemykeys
5why(andafewotherquestions) Whycan'tIfocus Whydoesthishavetoseemsocomplicated Whywon'tthisgoddamnpieceofsoftwaredowhatIwant
Whocares
HowdoImakethiswork HowcanIdothisbetter
Whatisthepointofallthis
ShouldIshavetoday AmIbeingasmart-ass HaveIsavedenoughmoney AmIwastingtoomuchtime WillImeetsomeone Willwerunoutofwater
WhatshouldIdonow AmIdoingthisright
Specialinstructions:
Thepieceissetfor24SATBsingers(sixsingersperpart)Divisimarkingsaredenotedwithnumbers abovethestaff,andareoftensplitacross2-3staves,dependingonthepart Somesectionsconsistoflongheldnotes.Thesingersshouldfeelfreetobreathewherevernecessary,buttotryto dosointime(ietakeaneighthorquarter-notebreath)
5withnatural,slight portamentobetweeneachnote
to careabout - that who
who actual - -lylis-tens to this who who who cares who whowearshighheeledrain boots whowearshighheeledrain boots whowearshighheeledrain boots whoatemyicecreamwhoatemyicecreamwhoatemyicecreamwhoatemyicecreamwhoatemyicecreamwhoatemyicecream
careabout
(f)maintainintensity
(f)maintainintensity (f)maintainintensity
what what dinner - whatwillIeatfordinner - whatwillIeatfordinner - whatwillIeatfor dinner - whatwillIeat for
smelllike whatdoesitsmelllike whatdoesitsmelllike whatdoesitsmelllike whatdoesitsmelllike whatdoesitsmelllike whatwillIhaveforlunch whatwillIhaveforlunch whatwillIhaveforlunch whatwillIhaveforlunch what mf is thatinmytupperware whatisthatinmytupperware whatis thatinmytupperware
where oh
wherearemyshoes whereis every - -onewherearemykeys whereismyphone wherearemyshoes whereis every - -one wherearemyshoes whereis every - -onewherearemykeys whereismyphone wherearemyshoes whereis every - -one
wherearemyshoes where is every - -onewherearemykeys whereismyphonewherearemyshoes where is every - -one
whereisthebus whereismyphone wherearemykeys whereisthebus whereismyphone wherearemykeys
where pp ismyphone wherearemykeys where
whereis myphone wherearemykeys whereis the bus whereis myphone where is my phone where are my shoes where