Thompson | Queen Nanny's Lullabye

R

E

Queen Nanny’s Lullabye

SC O

for soprano and piano

PE

R

U

SA L

Joel Thompson 2024

R

PE U SA L R

SC O

E

E R

SC O

Queen Nanny’s Lullabye

SA L

for soprano and piano

PE

R

U

Joel Thompson 2024

R

PE U SA L R

SC O

E

E

Program Note

PE

R

U

SA L

SC O

R

Nanny of the Maroons, or Queen Nanny, is an important national hero for the Jamaican people, as she led the courageous resistance against British colonists in the First Maroon War (1728-1740). The Maroons, the self-liberated African people that the British were attempting to return to slavery as the colonists tried to occupy the entire island, were victorious due to Queen Nanny’s brilliant military leadership and cunning. Myths and legends have arisen to fill the vacuum of the sparse historical records of Queen Nanny’s life and legacy. Some say she practiced obeah, a hybrid religious practice among the enslaved, and that she cast spells that caused white soldiers to drop dead when they walked into her territory. Most likely, these stories arose from the effectiveness of her guerrilla war tactics that prioritized stealth and deadly efficiency. In the context of this song, Queen Nanny’s methods of resistance against colonial violence are not as important as her absolute confidence in her power to protect her people. In this murder ballad disguised as a lullabye, we hear the disembodied voice of Queen Nanny beckoning the British invader, wandering through the deep Blue Mountain brush, to sleep. (The enigmatic refrain nods towards the story of Delilah, one of the oldest archetypes of feminine power.) As the song unfolds and the symptoms of her poison/spell set in, Queen Nanny drops clues that she seeks a more eternal rest for those who seek to re-enslave her and her people. Although her gentle maternal guise evaporates for a moment of righteous indignation, the piece ends as gently as it began – and slowly slips into the sleep of death.

– Joel Thompson 2024

Standard American English

Come here, likkle one Come an ress your head "It won't be long now," So di baaba said.

Come here, little one.

Come and rest your head.

“It won’t be long now,” So the barber said.

You look a likkle lost, baby But you will find your way.

No worry if yu yeye dem a droop so, Jus lissin what you Nanny seh:

You look a little lost, baby, But you will find your way.

Don’t worry if your eyes are drooping.

Just listen to what your Nanny says:

Come here likkle one Come an ress your head "It won't be long now," So di baaba said.

So, rest a while on that boulder if your legs are cramped and strained.

I know your heart is palpitating but your Nanny will soon take away the pain.

SA L

So, tarry a while pon di big rock stone if you legdem a cramp an strain.

Mi know yu chess a go toogatoomtoom but you Nanny soon tek weh di pain.

SC O

R

Come here likkle one Come an ress your head "It won't be long now," So di baaba said.

E

Jamaican Patois

As your throat closes up, And your lips grow numb,

R

U

Here you are Time to sleep now, Close those wide and fearful eyes.

As yu troat close up and yu lips grow numb, I'll wipe away the blood and you'll realize:

PE

The end is drawing nigh, enslaver.

You stole my sister from my arms, colonizer, And stole the land from my people, abuser, And beat my brother black and red, fertilizer, And you will reap what you've sown, likkle one.

Good night, likkle one.

It won’t be long now…

Duration: c. 5 minutes First printing, May 2024 Copyright © 2024 Joel Thompson (BMI). All Rights Reserved.

Program Note Copyright © 2024 Joel Thompson. All Rights Reserved Published by Just a Theory Press | www.justatheorypress.com

JAT 137-035

Piano Score Commissioned by Karen Slack

Queen Nanny’s Lullabye Mary Ground

Joel ompson

for soprano and piano

(2024)

Gently  = 68



    



 



                



 

head.

  

   



     

  



   

 



   

“It won’t be

long now,”



 

 



 



 

 

  

 

 

 

 

   

  



  

Come

 

   

  

 

  

“It won’t be



Copyright © 2024 Joel ompson (BMI). All Rights Reserved.

Published by Just a eory Press | www.justatheorypress.com



 



Come an ress your









 

 







so di baa - ba

  



 

  

long now,”

  

    

so di baa - ba said.

Come an ress your head.

 

   



  

   



 





 

11

here, lik - kle one.



 

 

  

       

 



U

  



    

  

R

 



PE







Come here, lik - kle one.

 

   

8



             







E





R

    



SC O







SA L

5



    

 

 

2

Joel ompson | Queen Nanny’s Lullabye

    

2024-05-07

14



    

said.





      

 

  

       

  

   

 





   

  



23

 



Juss



 



  





  

 



 

seh:

      She seh



  

 

  



 



  

“It won’t be

long now,”

  



so di baa - ba

 



  





 

 



 



come

      



 



   

        



   

 

 

 

nd your

      

lis - sin what you Nan - ny



 

Come an ress your head.

 



 

      

        

      

      

      

  



        

  



    

here, lik - kle one.



 

No wor - ry if yu yeye dem a droop so,

20

 

 



   

but you wi’



R



way.

  



           

        

    

ba - by,

SC O



 

PE



 

 

R







SA L



   

 

  17

You look a lik - kle lost,

U





     

E



 

Joel ompson | Queen Nanny’s Lullabye

  

said.

 



 



  



 

      





 

 

 

 

   

 

 

  

  





 

 

        

32

 

   

    





 

di big rock stone if you

PE    

34



U

while pon

R



            

a

  

 

 



 

















 

 

 



 



  



and



 

  

  

  

 

          

 





  

strain.



 

   

So

 





Mi



    

  

 



  

 

know yu chess a go too - ga - toom - toom but you Nan - ny soon tek weh di pain.

     

    



 

  

 





   

 

leg dem a cramp





 



    

so di baa - ba said.



“It won’t be

 







 



Come an ress your head.

SA L

      

tar - ry



  



 

29

long now,”



Come here, lik - kle one.



  

SC O



  



E

    

26

3

R

2024-05-07

      



   



 

Joel ompson | Queen Nanny’s Lullabye

  

 

   

40

head.



   

  

 

here, lik - kle one.

long

now,”



U



R

  

 

 

    



 

 







 



  

 

 

    



 

Here you are.



   





 



     

  





 





  

 







so di baa - ba

     

Time to sleep

           

 

  

       

Come

 

long now,”

    

 

  





  

“It won’t be

   





said.

  

 

  



 









 

46



so di baa - ba said.

  



come, come an ress your



   

Come an ress your head.

PE



   



 



  



   



43

 





  

  

 

 

“It won’t be

    

 

 

    

SC O

    



Come here,

SA L



    

I wi’ tek weh di pain, lik - kle one.

     

          



  

E

      

     

37

2024-05-07

R

4



 



  

now.

  

       

Joel ompson | Queen Nanny’s Lullabye



Close those wide and





      



54

 

 



     

I’ll wipe

a - way the





blood

 

 

 

  

  

U

R

PE 



nigh,







en

-

    

and yu lips



       

grow

    

 

       

and you’ll re - a - lize:





e end

   





 

   



is

       

  



accel.

Simmering with rage  = 60

 



poco rit.

                         

57



As yu troat close up

            

      







fear - ful eyes.

SA L

numb





   



                   





    



E

   

SC O

 

      

50

5

R

2024-05-07



slav

-

-



er.

            You stole my sis - ter

from my

              

 





                                                         

 

         

6

Joel ompson | Queen Nanny’s Lullabye

2024-05-07

Righteous indignation  = 72

                

 

 

     

 

      



peo - ple,

and stole

 



 

      

er,

    

and

 

       

   

          

land

from

my



       



    





you

will

reap what you’ve

         

    

  

    



 



   

           red,

 

 

          



sown,

    



    

    

   



fer - ti - liz - er,

           

 



   

    

    

    

the

and beat my bro - ther black and

          

R  



           

       

PE

rall.



   

U

               

-



    

 

 

 

a - bus

                  

64



 

er,

string.

61



-

     



E

col - o - niz

  



R

arms,

 

SC O

   

SA L



  

s.





glis

59

         

  

 

 



Joel ompson | Queen Nanny’s Lullabye

2024-05-07





        

 

 



         

    

71

     





 

   



 

   



 

 

  





   



    

 





    



 

 

 





  

  

    

   



  



 











  

    

 

   

   

 

       

   









         

    

It

 

won’t be

 





  



Good





         

long

  now



  

 

 



 

  

 

 

Dying  = 36

 







 hum   

78

 





U

  



 



 



rall.





R

  

 

PE

 





 

75

   



  





 

   



  

improvise in RH (some ideas provided as cues)





 





lik - kle one...

night, lik - kle one.



  

E





     



SC O





SA L

67

Play 1–4x improvise imitatively on a neutral syllable, in dialogue with piano (some ideas provided as cues)

R

Gently  = 68

7





   

      



    

   





 

 

R

PE U SA L R

SC O

E

R

PE U SA L R

SC O

E

E R SC O SA L U R PE www.justatheorypress.com