Candey | PROTOCOL

PROTOCOL

PERUSALSCORE

song cycle in three movements for eight TTBB voices

a

by Griffin Candey — composed for Cantus Vocal Ensemble texts by Kaveh Akbar + Hieu Minh Nguyen + Aiden Feltkamp

PERUSALSCORE

R O T O C O L

PERUSALSCORE

a song cycle

for TTBB voices

by Griffin Candey

on poetry by:

Kaveh Akbar

Aiden Feltkamp

Hieu Minh Nguyen

written for the voices of Cantus

m o v e m e n t s

1. Self-Made

2. The Men Who Wore Lions

3. Prayer for the Uncertain Animal

canbeperformedseparatelyorattacca

i n s t r u m e n t a t i o n

TTBBvocalensemble

l e n g t h

Approx.10minutes

Asnoted,eachofthesemovementscanbeperformedseparatelyor​attacca. Thereareafairnumberof​soli​throughout— Ihavenotassignedtheseto specificmembersoftheensembletogiveyouallthefreedomtoparcelthem outaccordingtotheneedsofyourconcerts,i.e.notwearingoutanyone member.Also,feelveryfreetoplaywithanyneutralsyllablesthroughout (your​mm​sandyour​ahh​s)—alterthemasnecessaryforcohesionofsound, fortheneedsofaperformancespace,foraudibility’ssake,etal.Similarly,feel freetoplaywith​tempi (andalterationsto​tempi​)forthebenefitoftext comprehension.Beyondthat,don’tbeafraidtomessaroundwithdifferent sortsofvocalism,esp.inthesolobits—manyofthemarefairlyintimate,and thatcansometimesbenefitfromafreer,lessstrictly-classicalapproach.In short:playwithitasmuchasyou’dlikeinordertomakeitfeellikeyours! j

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WhenIstarteddiscussingtheaimsforthispiece,asetofsongsforCantus thatdigintohowwelearnandunlearntoxicmasculinity,thetwothoughts thatkeptringinginmyheadwere(​a​)​“thereareso,somanywaystoapproach thissubject”and(​b​)​“thisisgoingtobehardashell.”​Itbecameimmediately clearthatwewouldnotbeabletoencompassthisthing,awholeplanetof hurt,inthreesongsandtenminutes:weneededtofindaspecificroutein. ThatroutecameimmediatelyintofocusonceIstarteddiscussingthecycle withthreeincrediblepoets— allofwhomwroteentirelynewtextsforthis.

Theroute:​certaintyanduncertainty.​Wediscussedhowmeninthis countryaresorarelytaughttosay,​“Idon’tknow”or​“you’reright,Inever thoughtofitthatway.”Wemodelourselvesonthementhatwesee,inour livesandinthemedia,portrayedasstrongwhentheyare​uncompromising andweakwhentheytaketheirfootoffthepedal.Assuch,we’reconstantly hurtlingforward.Withoutmyguidance,thetextsallformedanarc:Aiden exploringhowwelearnthisbehavior,Kavehguidingusthroughanalmost allegoricalimageofcertaintymakingusblindinsteadofreliable,andHieu paintingawayforwardthatdoesn’trequireustoalwaysknowtheanswers. Asmuchasthisconceptfrightenedmeattheoutset,it’sbeenfruitful;and I’mforeverthankfultoCantusfortheopportunitytodigintothissubject, andfortheirwillingnesstoexplorethisrichspacetogether.​xx—Griffin .

EachofthesepoetscamesortofpiecemealtothisprojectwithCantus.AidenandI havebeenfriendsforyearsandoftenjokethatwe’rebrothers.Theyplayedtheleadin thefirstoperaIeverwrote,andthatbeganalongstretchofdumbjokesandbig dreams(thatIdon’timaginewillletupanytimesoon.)Fortheothers,I’veadmired Kaveh’spoetryformanyyearsnowandfinallyworkedupthebraverytoreachoutto him.Overthephone,heverywarmlyagreedtobepartoftheproject—andwhenI askedforrecommendationsofotherpoetswhomightbeinterestedintacklingthis densesubjectmatter,heimmediatelysaidHieu.IlookedupHieu’sworkandwas fully,honestlysmitten.ThethreeofthemcreatedakindofnarrativewholethatI couldn’thavedreamtupinamillionyears.I’mdeeplygratefultohaveeachoftheir verygenerous,personalvoiceswoveninto​Protocol​.Theymakethepiecewhatitis.

. Self-Made

AidenFeltkamp

Wrapmyselftight: cleanslateforaface, wristsstraightassteel, voicepitchedlow(commanding), handsdirect,fullofpurpose evenwhenuncertain.

Windmyselftight, modeledafterthemen whoroamtheEarthlikemachines: measured,cogsmovingfastbut unfeeling,predictable,andsteady evenwhenuncertain.

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Thisistheprotocol. ThisisthemanI’mnotsureIwanttobe.

The

MenWhoWoreLions

KavehAkbar

Overthemen’sheads, abirdspoke:

Thesunisinthemountains; aboveitisthemoon.

PERUSALSCORE

Thethingyouhopedmightsaveyou hadbettersaveyousoon.

Themenstood,staring attheskylikedesperateplants.

Courage:alongshadow scatteredoverthehorizon likesalt tossedoverashoulder.

Overtheirshoulders,themen worelions.

Theyworelionslikemen wearinglions.

Maneblendedinto beard,makingthemenglow withmannishlight. Themenapproachedthemountain thathadsunshineseepingoutitscracks. Whentheygotcloseenough, themountainlight illuminatedeachman’sface.

Terriblelight. Insidethecoreofthesun

insidethecoreofthemountain wasasinglewhiteplant,six

fistshigh,withitsrootsgrowing straightupintheair.

Themenneverfoundit. Themencouldonlyseethemselves.

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PrayerfortheUncertainAnimal HieuMinhNguyen

Allmylife,Iwastaughttomaketheworldsmall inmyhands,toletitdissolvelikeapillonmytongue, amarkinthesand.Wethinkweknowwhatweknow cannotchange.Wepinourwondertologic.

Wenailourfeettothefloor.Wedanceonaschedule. Wedreamwithoureyesclosed.

Wearesocertainitmakesuslonely. Wearesocertainitmakesusscared

ofthewater,oftheworldsthatcanproveussmall. Wemaptheworldtomakeusfeellargeatthecenter.

Sometimesmenwilltouchathing asifthey’redoingitafavor.

Sometimesmenwillburndownacity justtobeitssavior.

Boyswillbeboyswillbebackbeforedawn. Boyswillbeboyswillnotdancealongtosongstheydon’tknow.

Letmagicbemagicwithoutlookingforthe strings.Letthelightshineoneverything.

Letusbesmallamongtheimpossibletrees. Letusdreamourselvessmallwithoureyeswideopen.

PERUSALSCORE

1. Self-Made

text: Aiden Feltkamp — music: Grifn Candey — for: Cantus

2. Te Men Who Wore Lions

Score text: Kaveh Akbar — music: Grifn Candey — for: Cantus

{q = c 52-60}

{q = c 69-72}

(optional: basses can double tenor + baritone drone)

cracks when they got

close e nough, the

when they got

close e nough, the

include if performing attacca into third mvmt; otherwise, cut of at fermata in m. 71

Score

3. Prayer for the Uncertain Animal

text: Hieu Minh Nguyen — music: Grifn Candey — for: Cantus

= c 66-69}

all appoggiatura like this throughout this movement