Sankaram | Custom of the Coast by Just a Theory Press

PERUSALSCORE

Custom of the Coast

an operac conjuring in one act for soprano, mezzo-soprano, Irish musician, string quartet, and electronics

Music by Kamala Sankaram

Libretto by Paul Muldoon

PERUSALSCORE

Custom of the Coast

an operac conjuring in one act for soprano, mezzo-soprano, Irish musician, string quartet, and electronics

Music by Kamala Sankaram

PERUSALSCORE

Libretto by Paul Muldoon

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Program Note

is piece is structured to move through several Hindustani ragas that were chosen for their rasas and their similarity to the modes found in Irish traditional music. For example, Roisin Dubh uses a Dorian mode, which is similar to the Hindustani raga Ka. Ka is a beautiful raga used in many light classical pieces, particularly thumri. Anne's rst entrance is grounded in Dorian mode, while Savita is written in Ka. Additionally, the string writing for Savita's sections takes inspiration from several typical thekas (percussion patterns) including Dadra, Keherwa, and Rupak. By the end of the piece, Savita has moved into raga Todi, a highly chromatic raga that expresses deep pathos. Savita is most often accompanied by the cello.

e Irish instrument (in the premiere, an accordion) serves as a spiritual companion for Anne. e Irish tunes were chosen as Easter eggs for those familiar with Irish music. eir titles are all meant to correspond to the action of the piece, with the exception of the cheekily selected "Sheriﬀ Muldoon's Jig,"which is simply in honor of our wonderful librettist.

Anne and Savita's musical worlds begin to overlap as their stories draw to their close, culminating in a nal duet.

Performing Forces

Savita...................................................................................................................................................................Soprano (Should be South Asian, preferably Indian). A dentist who has immigrated to Ireland, her death from sepsis in 2012 after being denied an abortion galvanized the country to amend its constitution.

Anne........................................................................................................................................................Mezzo-soprano An 18th-century Irish pirate who served on the ship of Calico Jack Rackham while disguised as a boy. She later escaped execution by claiming to be pregnat ("pleading the belly.")

Traditional Irish Musician*

2 Violins (Violin 1 doubles on Manjira)*

Viola

Cello

Electronics*

*See Performance Notes.

Setting:

is is a liminal space. ese characters are called together across time.

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Performance Notes:

Traditional Irish Musician

e accordion part is intended to be played by a specialist in Irish traditional music. As such, the transcriptions of the tunes in the score are a basic guideline to help the singers and ensemble follow along with the tune. As each Irish musician will have their own approach to these tunes, they will need to be adjusted (i.e. number of repeats, entrance of singer) to ensure that entrances and endings occur as close to the score as possible. is version of the score was created for Danny O'Mahony.

Free Time:

e X time signature indicates an unmetered bar.

Stemless noteheads are to be sung or played in a tempo and rhythm at the liberty of the performer.

Ornamentation:

JANTA is an ornamentation used in Carnatic music where the pitch is approached using a strong upward gesture from the note immediately below it. In this score, it is indicated with a scoop:

MEEND is an ornamentation used in Hindustani music. It is executed by sliding between the pitches without rearticulating the individual notes. In this score, the unarticulated pitches are shown with diamond noteheads:

e Carnatic song referenced in the score is "Enna tavam sheidanai, Yashoda." Feel free to add your own ornaments as desired.

Electronics and Amplication:

e electronics are intended to be cued in real-time using a program that can loop. is can be QLab, Ableton, or a similar program.

Vocalists and all instruments are intended to be amplied to balance with the electronics.

Manjira:

e Manjira is a traditional Indian small cymbal. If a manjira is not available, a bell or other small cymbal can be substituted.

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Custom of the Coast

an operatic conjuring in one act for soprano, mezzo-soprano, Irish musician, string quartet, and electronics

Whisper the text in the box. It should be almost inaudible. When you are nished, play the manjira as the rst candle is lit.

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Whereas the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act was signed into Irish law only because the mirror was cracked, only because of a fatal flaw, the news has gone out from Dublin to Delhi that the next generation of over-achievers should take nothing for granted. You’ve only to take a skelly into the next world to know that seers are not believers.

BWhisper the text in the box. It should be almost inaudible. Keep whispering until the manjira plays and your candle is lit.

∑

Whisper the text in the box. It should be almost inaudible. Keep whispering until the manjira plays and your candle is lit.

∑

Whisper the text in the box. It should be almost inaudible. Keep whispering until the manjira plays and your candle is lit.

∑

Kamala Sankaram

Paul Muldoon

With each sounding of the manjira, a candle is lit, calling each of the four corners and beginning the conjuring.

Manjira (CANDLE 1)

molto sul pont., very little pitch

f like a candle being lit

molto sul pont., very little pitch

f like a candle being lit

molto sul pont., very little pitch

f like a candle being lit

sul pont.

Vn. 2

Vn. 1

Vn. 2

move freely between sul pont. and ord., vary speed of tremolo

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move freely between sul pont. and ord.

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o improvise harmonic glisses on A and E strings; vary speed of tremolo and length of gliss.

o improvise harmonic glisses on D and A strings; vary speed of tremolo and length of gliss.

raw, a more folk style. Feel free to vary the ornaments as you like.

o - cean. Your pardon - will come from the Pope, a

vary held pitch with sul pont., sul tasto, and ord.

Vn. 1

born, the pike lay un der - the thatch.

chase. In Gal-waywe'dwait forthe turn ing -

Armed totheteeth with pitchforks - andpike-staves.

whenImovedtoIreland - intwothou - -sandandeight. I'dcometojoinmyhus-bandPra-veen,

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We'd met on a marr-iage web-site. Some call that a blind date.

Hewasalread - -yworking - inGalway - forBoston - Scien - -ti-c.De-b-ri-lators. - Druge --luting - stents.

Forthelongest - time wekeptintouchby Skype. atwasthe rst

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TwelveBens were back lit. - My

friendsthoughtthat to liveoutside theirown cul-ture Meno mosso

SAV.

Vn. 1

arco pizz.arco & pizz. arco

Vn. 2 Va. Vc. be slight-ly numb. Lit tle - did I know, as I looked SAV.

Vn. 1

Vn. 2 Va. Vc. for-ward to the birthof mychild, that I'd be under - the gun at & 242 & pizz.arco pizz. arco pizz.arco pizz. arco pizz.arco pizz. & pizz.arco pizz. arco pizz.arco pizz. arco pizz.arco pizz. B arco pizz. arco pizz. arco pizz. arco pizz. arco

pizz.arco & pizz. ? arco &

& arco pizz.arcopizz. arco pizz.arcopizz. arco pizz. & arco pizz.arcopizz. arco pizz.arcopizz. arco pizz. B pizz.arcopizz. arco pizz.arcopizz. arco pizz.arco pizz. ? pizz.arco & pizz. ? arco pizz.arco & pizz. ? arco Janta Meend

My mother - joined us in due course.

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& B

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q = 100

Onsailcloth - withacharcoal - stub, hesetdownthe Cus-tomof theCoast

q = 100

ANNE

Vn. 1

Vn. 2

Coast

Among - therulesof conduct - he wouldpost

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pizz.

play any of the pitches in the box; like a wagging nger

pizz.

play any of the pitches in the box; like a wagging nger

If, if any - man befoundse-ducing - an-y of the lat-ter sex, and

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Vn. 1

Vn. 2

randomly add snap pizz.

theyareto be marooned.

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William - Butler - Yeats. Rab-in-dra-nath Ta-gore. Weknow Nehru - and

- thansea-soned on-lywithsweat and tears.

- thansea-soned

Jackand I e ver - pan dered. - e pirate - worldwas a dog eatdogworld,that

1st repeat: freely articulate sustained pitch, switching between autando, sul pont. and tremolo, and ord.

2nd repeat: move to ord.; vary the length of the pitch

1st repeat: freely articulate sustained pitch, switching between autando, sul pont. and tremolo, and ord.

2nd repeat: move to ord.; vary the length of the pitch

1st repeat: freely articulate sustained pitch, switching between autando, sul pont. and tremolo, and ord.

2nd repeat: move to ord.; vary the length of the pitch

1st repeat: freely articulate sustained pitch, switching between autando, sul pont. and tremolo, and ord.

2nd repeat: move to ord.; vary the length of the pitch

Vn. 1

Vn. 2

ere and then he persua - -dedmetoe-lope.

tender

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board

Jack had me once a gain - switch-ing in-to

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cat o' nine tails in the dog eat dog world.

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In thewake of a ogging, - the victim's - skinwouldbesousedinbrineand vinegar. -

hon- eymoon - in theWest In dies - steer ing - clear

hon- eymoon - in theWest In dies - steer ing - clear of

E-versince I got mar-ried and wore a

wry—most people don't know what a bottu is

bot-tu (AKAabindi) - I could-n't help butthinkofthe fac-es ofbeggars -

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onthestreets of Ban ga - -lore. People - living - bytheirwits.

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dwellsin aslum. I hadnotthought death had un done - so

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head of the Re-venge, a baretit - cut-tystraddling - the cutwater.p p p p p

Markwas say-ing that if itappears - arobberyis on-ly be-twixtone a-nother,

thepirateswillcontent - themselves - withslit-tingthenoseandearsoftheguiltypartyandsettinghimon

Mark was looking - down in-to my face.

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Markwassaying, - whilststillonboard. Ev'ry - man'squarrelsweretobeendedinport atpistolandsword.

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court. eQuartermaster - turnsthe dis put - -antsback to back,

theyturnand reimme - -diately,im-mediately - at-tack, orelsethepieceisknockedoutoftheirhands.

randomly add snap pizz. pizz.

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randomly add snap pizz. pizz.

Ifbothmiss,theycometotheircutlasses, - andthenheisdeclared - thevictorwhodrawsthe rstblood.

My heart leapt when he took my

SQ22 on First Repeat

SQ23 on Second Repeat

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ordi - -nary - people - reaching - out to the for eign - -er.

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even - thosecaught up inadrinking - bout, e-venthosewhowereslightly - theworse for

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day of days. at day of days. at day of days. at day of days. at

vows. We would save each o-ther from harm.

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sidetheold Magda - -lene laund-ry on For-sterStreet.

I'd heardtell of horses - being - nobbled - attheGal-way

Rac es. - Now

I had this oddfeeling,as if I'd wob-bled,

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Cali - -co Jack had long suspect - -ed Mark andIwerea pair.

let himknow Mark Read was,infact, a wo man. -

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Galway Reel h = 120

land strongly on this pitch

begin to move freely between ord., harmonics, and sul pont. with tremolo

land strongly on this pitch

begin to move freely between ord., harmonics, and sul pont. with tremolo

land strongly on this pitch

begin to move freely between ord., harmonics, and sul pont. with tremolo

land strongly on this pitch

begin to move freely between ord., harmonics, and sul pont. with tremolo

Vn. 2

Vn. 1

Vn. 2

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Cal-i-co

Jackcalled us out for be ing - jing-le-beds, whores and q = 100 q = 100

During this passage, SAVITA grows increasingly lightheaded

Cal

-ico. Acloth Iassociatewithpea-cock.Apeacockstrut.

e Phar isees - oﬀered a tenth of their rue and mint.

ey would have known Cal ico - came not from Cal cutta - but

bellows noise

Vn. 1

Vn. 2

Calicut. - eyweresuchsticklers - forthesmallprint.ePharisees - havenothingto dowiththePar-si.

Itwasn't - theMace,infact.ItwastheCentra - Quickshop. - As Iwentbytheord.pen - doorofD'Arcy's

air noise, no pitch

sim. harmonic glisses on G and D; vary speed of trem and length of gliss.

air noise, no pitch

sim. harmonic glisses on C and G; vary speed of trem and length of gliss.

Vn. 1

Vn. 2

Let the spoken text become a harsh whisper, almost vocal fry

My head was light from the stink of horse piss and slops.

Seventeentwent-y. e sloop ly-ing oﬀ NegrilPoint.

Itsmelledlikeanalehouse. Cali

Jackandthecrewlookedparticularly

Vc.

All three sheets to thewind. gliss. gliss. gliss. gliss. gliss. gliss. gliss. gliss. gliss. gliss. gliss. gliss. gliss. gliss. gliss.

gliss. gliss. gliss. gliss. gliss.

Completelysoused.Ihappenedto beunpicking a knotwith amarlinspike.

q. = 120

add swells as you like

ANNE

Vn. 1

Vn. 2 Va.

rip, he'd been charged with defense - of the

he himself - wasa robber - and a rip, he'd been charged with de-

Mar y - - Read and I each drew a

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at day of days. she dev - -ils. We were all tak en -

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Vn. 2 Va. Vc. but not be fore - I'd been wound ed - by a tyke who

lunged at me from the mizzen.at fuckerstabbed me with my own mar-linspike.

I wasbroughttothehospi - tal - com-plaining - of back pain. Mar yp p

Read and I wouldhavebeenno lessproudof our ac-quittal - of ourselves -

ontheSpanish - Mainthanonthesloop'smain deck. at day of accel.

given - up the so-called third world fora country - famous - for

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bards andbi-otech - only - to nd the Pa-pal ag un-furled.

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straddles - aConne - -mara - drystone fence. To at day of days.

Vn. 2 Va. Vc. something - so hum-drum... as p blood poison - -ing. Abattle - inwhich

ANNE only one was slain. e bat-tle lost or won that day of rit. e p bat-tle lost or won that day of

We were sentenced - tohangright there andtheninPort Ro yal. -

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sul pont. ord.

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sul pont. ord.

sul pont.

Vn. 2

SAV.

Vn. 1

ownCarna - -tic ition. - Morethroaty. - Morenasal. - An i-mage came tome. I Più mosso Più mosso

SAV. Vn. 1

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Vn. 2

if Iwereachild going - under - chloro - -form. Mybraidwasalltat.Alltatandtousle. -

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see a gene - -ralde-fec tion. -

All

ittakes is a slip ofthetongue to make ashibo - -leth

thatwilldistin - -guish the wheatfromthechaﬀ. Most matter of fact

stolen - a pig or some such baga --telle. at'showsomany - ofthepirate - crew

hangedforasheep as a lamb.

move freely between sul pont. and ord.

longfor mysepsisto beproperlydiagnosed. - It tooklong-er thananyonemighthavesupposed -

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Whenit had indeed - becomeclearmy child wouldbe lost, I request - -ed a a-bortion. -

move freely between sul pont. and ord.

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move freely between sul pont. and ord.

It took long-er thananyonemighthave supposed - for blame to be ap-portioned. -

Vn. 1

Vn. 2

If there'sno evidence - themotheris at risk, it seems, thedoctors'handsare tied.

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therewasnogaininitsloss.iswasn't - azero - sumgame. Ver-y far from q = 110

Vn. 1

repeat until accordion enters move freely between sul pont. and ord.

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repeat until accordion enters move freely between sul pont. and ord.

edge as he had to his blade. He'd lost his

A midwife - triedto explain - Ireland wasstill un-der theswayof theCatholicChurch. q = 100

= 100

freely add tremolos at varying speeds

Ihadbeenlooking - outfromPortRo-yal, outacross - theBay,whenIgaveasuddenstarboard - lurch.

Vn. 1

Vn. 2

We were given - astayofex-e-cu-tion.

ReadandAnneBonny. -

Mother - Machree - thana fullblown - Ma ha - -ran i. -

child

-birth fe ver. - echild wouldturn tobrawn inits own

Vc. like thekey to a quand'ry. - Likewhenthelast name ofthe author - isrevealed - in a

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o-ver a woman's - rights. A woman - is on-ly a thorn inone or

alread - -y sucking - itsthumb has won hands down o-verthe

ground. I'msur-prised my re ceiv - ing - the ground.

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Vn. 1

Vn. 2

Va. Vc.

1427 & & B ? & 1432 & & B ?

Yet I believed - Imight break withthecon ven - -tionsby whichwe're bound.

pound. Now thedie was cast. ein e - vit - -a ble - out come.SAV. Vn. 1 Vn. 2

day of days. at day of days. at day of day of days. at day of days. at day of

Stay with cello — you don't have to be exactly together, but as close as possible. Stay within a phrase of Anne and accordion.

SAVITA

Some say thetimehas come.

Stay with accordion — you don't have to be exactly together, but as close as possible. Stay within a phrase of SAVITA and cello. ANNE

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time has

Stay with ANNE — you don't have to be exactly together, but as close as possible. Stay within a phrase of SAVITA and cello.

move freely between sul pont. and ord.

sub.

move freely between sul pont. and ord.

Stay with SAVITA— you don't have to be exactly together, but as close as possible. Stay within a phrase of ANNE and accordion.

Some say thetimehas come. for theChurch toloos-en its

forthe monks to take to their ships and

repeat this line if you are too far ahead of ANNE/accordion 3

grip on theneck of the I rish - na tion. - Pra - veen head back across - the o cean. - ere'llbeneither - pardon - nor gliss. gliss. gliss.

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harmonic glisses on A and E; vary speed of trem. and length of gliss.

repeat this line if you are too far ahead of ANNE/accordion

Vn. 2

penance - fromthePope. I'll not take his re-tri-bu tion.& 1477 & 3 & & &

believes - thatI was born to give hope to the next

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repeat this line if you are too far ahead of ANNE/accordion

pire isrunning - outof road in oneof its last out . posts - I'm fearfulstowed.

(after cello nishes melody)

change my death may fore bode. - ButImustbelieve - itwasnot know as Cus-tom of the Coast. p

(after cello nishes melody)

Vn. 1 Vn. 2

child. And I lived just long enough - to re vel - in the 1488 1488

3 1485 & sul pont. ord. & sul pont. ord.

sul pont. ord.

ord.

Vc. reckless - -ness for which I've been re viled. - e term we use for

ord.

sul pont. ord.

sail-ing close to the wind is "luﬀ". I lived be -

cause of a child. I died be-cause I

Vn. 2

Vc. all beguiled. - ose ritu - -als shouldhavebeen re-buﬀed. I died 1510 1510 SAV. ANNE

Elec. died for a child. lived for a child, a child.

molto sul pont.

repeat gliss. up, gradually increasing speed and density

molto sul pont.

repeat gliss. up, gradually increasing speed and density

molto sul pont.

repeat gliss. up, gradually increasing speed and density

e candles are blown out.

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repeat gliss. up, gradually increasing speed and density

Vn. 2

Vc.