MISSING Digital Booklet

MISSING ATOM (Artists of the Opera MISSING) conducted by Timothy Long, featuring the Continuum Ensemble Music by Brian Current, Libretto by Marie Clements

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Prelude Act I Scene 1: Fly Away Act I Scene 2: You Don't Look Like Yourself Act I Scene 3: Dr. Wilson Act I Scene 4: Ava and Jess Act I Scene 5: Angus Act I Scene 6: Everything Has Changed in Me Act I Scene 7: Language Lesson Act I Scene 8: Hlguhlxw Act I Scene 9: A Gitxsan Wedding Act II Scene 1a: There Should Be No Sun Act II Scene 1b: The Mother's Aria Act II Scene 2: She Cries Act II Scene 3: Nightmare Act II Scene 4: Ava Wake Up Act II Scene 5: You Don't Have to Be Afraid of Me Act II Scene 6: I Saw Your Eyes Epilogue

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MISSING

Artists: ATOM (Artists of the Opera MISSING), Continuum Ensemble, conducted by Timothy Long

MISSING was created to confront the ongoing crisis of Canada’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG). With music developed in collaboration between librettist Marie Clements, composer Brian Current, and Artists of the Opera MISSING (ATOM), the opera gives voice to the untold stories of the Indigenous women, families, and communities affected by this national tragedy.

Invited into the project by a production team composed of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous members, Current joined after the libretto was fully complete, shaping the music in close partnership with the cast and cultural advisors. The wedding scene, for instance, was built from texts and melodies gifted to the creative team by Gitxsan language consultant Vincent Gogag, who played an essential role in ensuring the rhythms and tonal colours of Gitxsan speech were authentically woven into the music.

More than half the cast and crew are of Indigenous background, and the first performance of each production has been reserved for the families of the victims, whose feedback has been nothing short of heartbreaking. The Artists of the Opera MISSING (ATOM) and Continuum Ensemble, led by conductor Timothy Long, weave contemporary classical music with Gitxsan language and cultural traditions, moving through grief, memory, and justice—ensuring these voices continue to be heard.

CREATIVE TEAM Libretto: Marie Clements Music: Brian Current Rehearsal Pianist – Stephane Meyer Album Cover – Carey Newman Gitxsan Speaker & Elder, Co-Creator of Wedding Scene: Vincent Gogag Conductor: Timothy Long Red Dress Image by Carey Newman Produced by Brian Current • Engineered by Dennis Patterson Mastered by Andrew Bove Recorded October 11, 2024 at Revolution Recording, Toronto

CONTINUUM ENSEMBLE Flute: Leslie Newman | Clarinet: Anthony Thomson Violin: Carol Fujino | Cello: Paul Widner Piano: Greg Oh | Percussion: Ryan Scott, Michael Murphy Artistic Director: Ryan Scott CAST Cait Wood: Ava | Melody Courage: The Native Girl (Soprano) Andrea Ludwig: Jess | Marion Newman: Dr. Wilson Michelle Lafferty: Native Mother (Mezzo-Soprano) Asitha Tennekoon: Devon (Tenor) | Evan Korbut: Angus (Baritone)

MISSING SYNOPSIS Ava, a young white woman, is thrown from her car and badly injured in a crash on Highway 16, the so-called Highway of Tears. As she struggles to regain consciousness, she sees another body—a young Native girl—lying on the ground nearby. Their eyes meet.

Some time after the accident, Ava returns to law school with her friend Jess and ex-boyfriend Devon. A guest lecturer, Dr. Wilson, speaks to the class about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in Canada. Jess resists, arguing with Dr. Wilson, and feels betrayed when Ava refuses to support her. Their friendship is shattered.

Elsewhere, at a cabin, the Native Mother and her adult son, Angus, share a quiet moment. A flashback reveals Angus as a teenager, playing with his much younger sister—his last memory of her before she disappeared.

In downtown Vancouver, Ava begins to see the Native Girl’s reflection in store windows. The visions unsettle her. She unexpectedly runs into Devon, and their love is rekindled. As Ava’s transformation deepens, she begins learning the Gitxsan language from Dr. Wilson.

At home, Ava, now pregnant, contemplates the life growing inside her. Suddenly, the Native Girl appears in the mirror. Ava is shaken, but when the Native Girl vanishes, she calls out: “Don’t go, I’m sorry.” They speak.

Ava and Devon celebrate their marriage in a traditional Gitxsan ceremony, embracing a new life together.

At the cabin, the Native Mother mourns her lost daughter, her grief filling the silence of the woods.

Ava grows distressed as her newborn baby cries endlessly. Dr. Wilson gently explains that the baby is passing between two worlds, much like Ava herself.

Meanwhile, the Native Girl is attacked in the woods beside Highway 16. Ava experiences this horror as a nightmare, feeling it as if it were happening to her. She wakes up, terrified, and Devon comforts her before falling back to sleep. Ava paces the room, rocking her baby.

The Native Girl appears again, and this time, Ava allows her to hold the baby. As they cradle the child together, their voices intertwine in song—echoing the Native Mother’s song to her lost daughter. Their worlds connect.

The Native Mother calls her daughter home. Ava and the Native Girl have found each other at last—each sees herself in the other. The Native Girl’s spirit can finally fly away.

At the cabin, the Native Mother and Angus mourn, holding the memory of their daughter and sister close as they say goodbye.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES TIMOTHY LONG is a distinguished conductor, pianist, and composer, serving as Artistic and Music Director of Opera at the Eastman School of Music and an assistant conductor at the Metropolitan Opera. A citizen of the Muscogee Nation and the Thlopthlocco Tribal Town, with matrilineal Choctaw heritage, he is a passionate advocate for Indigenous artists. His work spans symphonic and operatic conducting, including engagements with the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, Boston Lyric Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, the Brooklyn Philharmonic, and many others. In 2024, he launched The North American Indigenous Songbook, commissioning new works by Indigenous composers to expand the vocal repertoire. A dedicated mentor and leader, he is also president of The Plimpton Foundation, a member of the Board of Directors for OPERA America, and a 2024 inductee into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame.

MARIE CLEMENTS, librettist, is a Métis/Dene filmmaker, writer, and director known for her groundbreaking work in film, TV, radio, and live performance. She is the founder of MCM, a production company dedicated to Indigenous and intercultural storytelling. Her award-winning films have screened internationally at Cannes, TIFF, MOMA, VIFF, and imagineNATIVE. Her feature Red Snow won multiple awards, including Most Popular Canadian Feature at VIFF and Best Director at the American Indian Film Festival. Her music documentary The Road Forward premiered at Hot Docs, screened at over 300 venues, and won numerous accolades.

Marie’s latest projects include the NFB documentary Lay Down Your Heart and the feature drama Bones of Crows for CBC, Radio-Canada, and APTN. She has been recognized by the Writers Guild, Directors Guild, and received the WFF Women on Top Award and Telefilm Canada Birks Diamond Tribute to Women in Film.

ARTISTS OF THE OPERA MISSING (ATOM) is a collective formed in 2022 to sustain the mission of bringing the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) to audiences through the opera MISSING. Beyond creating a definitive commercial recording, ATOM is dedicated to ensuring that the opera continues to be recognized as a powerful artistic response to this national tragedy.

The collective includes notable artists such as conductor Timothy Long, mezzo-soprano Marion Newman, librettist Marie Clements, composer Brian Current and soprano Melody Courage, alongside a team of dedicated musicians, cultural consultants, and production professionals. ATOM’s work is deeply rooted in collaboration with Indigenous artists, particularly Gitxsan speaker and Elder Vince Gogag, whose contributions ensure the authenticity and respectfulness of the opera’s linguistic and cultural elements.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES MISSING began as a commission by City Opera Vancouver and Pacific Opera Victoria, with a libretto by Marie Clements. Composer Brian Current was invited to join the project, shaping the music in collaboration with the creative team and Indigenous artists to honour the opera’s cultural and linguistic foundations. Since its premiere in 2017, Missing has had over 30 performances across Canada, including in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Toronto, as well as a U.S. presentation in Anchorage, Alaska. The first performance of each production has been reserved exclusively for the families of the victims, reinforcing the opera’s role in remembrance and healing.

BRIAN CURRENT, composer, studied music at McGill University and UC Berkeley. His music, lauded and broadcast in over 35 countries, has been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Barlow Prize for Orchestral Music (USA), the Premio Fedora (Italy) for Chamber Opera, and the Selected Work (under 30) at the International Rostrum of Composers in Paris. Current's pieces have been programmed by all major symphony orchestras in Canada and by dozens of professional orchestras, ensembles, and opera companies worldwide. Current is also an in-demand conductor and regularly leads orchestral programs of contemporary music, having championed over 100 works by contemporary composers. Since 2021, he has been Artistic Director and Conductor of New Music Concerts of Toronto and, since 2007, the director of the New Music Ensemble of The Glenn School at The Royal Conservatory. In 2016, Current won the inaugural Azrieli Commissioning Competition, the largest of its kind in Canada and one of the largest in the world. In 2018, his Shout, Sisyphus, Flock won the Jules-Leger Prize for New Chamber Music.

For 40 years, the CONTINUUM ENSEMBLE has been at the forefront of supporting groundbreaking and innovative ideas in contemporary chamber music, showcasing a unique and compelling approach to programming that continues to captivate audiences. Under the guidance of Artistic Director Ryan Scott and Operations Manager Christina Volpini, Continuum has established a reputation for presenting impactful concerts that often incorporate interdisciplinary collaborations with a broad range of partners and participants.

Continuum has commissioned more than 300 works from early-career and established Canadian and international composers, recorded three critically-acclaimed CDs, and established an online archive that documents all of its activities, recordings, and practices since 1985. Continuum has also toured extensively throughout Canada and Europe, showcasing the work of Canada’s contemporary music performers and composers.

LIBRETTO Track 1: PRELUDE Track 2, Act I, Scene 1: Fly Away AVA She was lying there. Did I tell you?

She was lying there under the tree. I looked at her. Until I saw her.

THE NATIVE GIRL (GITXSAN) Lach lak ‘yens wihl lee Han’ uun lach ts’e li’.

(The leaves fell like hands over my eyes.)

AVA I’m hanging in the wind. Who are you, girl?

THE NATIVE GIRL (GITXSAN) Wad win ee-ya-at.

(Until I saw you.)

THE NATIVE GIRL (GITXSAN) ‘Nee’ hl Ba hasxw. Ndaskidim ohl bahasxw,mi?

(I am the wind. Where should the wind go?)

AVA Until she saw me.

THE NATIVE GIRL Where should the wind go?

THE NATIVE GIRL Until she saw me.

THE NATIVE GIRL (GITXSAN) Gi’hl nel dzay ya ts’im lachs.

(There—a sparrow in the branches.)

THE NATIVE GIRL (GITXSAN) Lach lak ‘yens wihl lee Han’ uun lach ts’e li’ Mehl di’ lo-na?

(The leaves fell like hands over my eyes. Did I tell you?)

AVA Did I tell you?

THE NATIVE GIRL Did I tell you?

AVA I’m sorry I never picked you up.

THE NATIVE GIRL (GITXSAN) Gi’. Kam ts’in ksi nahlchi wi’ wlhl baha sxw. Nel dzay ya.

(I’ll whisper my breath like the wind. Sparrow.)

AVA Fly away.

THE NATIVE GIRL Fly away.

THE NATIVE GIRL (GITXSAN) So wee gi pay gwin.

(Fly away.)

AVA A broken sparrow still can fly.

THE NATIVE GIRL (GITXSAN) Ga kax hl Nel dzay ya ts’ ax wil- dihl skik sxwt.

(A broken sparrow still has wings.)

Track 3, Act I, Scene 2: You Don't Look Like Yourself JESS You don’t look like yourself.

AVA I don’t feel like myself.

JESS What do you feel like?

AVA Like I am myself but I’m broken. Missing parts of myself.

JESS and DEVON I missed you. I waited for you each day. I prayed for you each day.

Please let her live. Please let her breathe.

Every day. Every day. I said these things. Every day I waited.

Every day I missed you. I wished you alive.

AVA I was in a deep sleep far from myself. In a dark sky.

Moving across something but never understanding the beginning, never reaching the end.

JESS and DEVON I missed you. I waited for you each night. I prayed for you. I prayed each night. Every night. Every night. I said these things. Every night I wished you alive.

AVA I’ve lifted from a nightmare. Today is like flying into a dream.

JESS You’re here now.

AVA Am I?

JESS I can see you. I can hear you. You are alive.

AVA You can see me?

JESS and DEVON All nightmares come to an end. All darkness meets the light.

I can see you. I can hear you. You are alive.

AVA But what about her?

JESS What about who?

DR. WILSON As a human being. Do you recognize me as a human being?

DR. WILSON There are five thousand Native women missing in this country.

Five thousand—missing.

DR. WILSON Answer me this—what happens to a society when we can’t recognize another human being as part of ourselves? What are we missing?

JESS I don’t understand.

DR. WILSON You don’t understand.

Track 4, Act I, Scene 3: Dr. Wilson

JESS I don’t understand what you are trying to get at. What you are trying to say.

DR. WILSON What do you see when you see me?

AVA Jess... just let her...

DR. WILSON Anyone?

DR. WILSON What are you missing?

DR. WILSON Do you recognize me?

JESS Just let her what?

JESS Do I recognize you as what?

AVA Speak.

DR. WILSON What does missing mean to you? Does missing mean we lost something? If you lost something, if we lost something, if you lost something? Is it our fault?

JESS Our fault?

AVA Jess, please.

JESS No. It’s not our fault.

DR. WILSON Do you think they lost themselves? It’s their fault they went missing?

JESS Say something. Say anything.

DR. WILSON Now you want to be fair.

AVA I saw a Native girl on the highway.

JESS I don’t want to be attacked.

JESS What are you talking about?

DR. WILSON I am attacking you.

AVA I saw her.

JESS That’s what your people do.

DR. WILSON Hitchhiking on a lone highway. She got into a car.

DR. WILSON That’s what my people do.

NATIVE STUDENT Missing and Murdered.

JESS I’m not saying that.

JESS It’s about decisions.

DR. WILSON Maybe it’s their fault they are Indigenous. First Nations. Indian?

DR. WILSON Having that drink at the bar.

Going to that party with friends.

JESS This is not about race, about the colour of your skin, how much money you have or where you were born.

NATIVE STUDENT Missing and Murdered.

DR. WILSON Then what’s it about?

JESS It’s their decisions. It’s their fault.

You’re not being fair.

JESS You make yourselves victims and then you blame society.

JESS Why are you letting her attack me? Why aren’t you standing with me? What’s wrong with you?

DR. WILSON Fists and hammers, Screwdrivers and knives.

AVA and NATIVE STUDENT Missing and Murdered.

JESS Look at me.

DR. WILSON Matches lit. Flesh burnt.

Seared skin.

AVA and NATIVE STUDENT Missing and Murdered.

JESS Why won’t you look at me?

DR. WILSON Aiming their guns, inserting their knives, loading their cocks— AVA and NATIVE STUDENT Missing and Murdered.

JESS We are the same.

JESS You are... you are... You are less than me. I said it. I said what we are all thinking.

I said it. I say it. You are less than me. Less than us. You always have been.

DR. WILSON Then a line between ourselves and our children. Residential School.

Foster Care. Scooping. Who have everything and who will have nothing.

DR. WILSON You say it now. But I have heard you all my life.

ALL Missing and Murdered.

DR. WILSON Even when you are not speaking. You say it.

And I have heard you all my life.

DR. WILSON I am here to tell you there has never been a line on the long road until you drew it. We didn’t come to you. You came to us.

JESS I’m sorry. But there is a line.

DR. WILSON A sorry line between us.

DR. WILSON Our bodies used. Cut up and fed to pigs.

Carved up for the courts of law. So you can see better.

Our bodies used. Buried in unmarked graves.

Our bodies used. Buried by the side of the road.

DR. WILSON First a line on our land. Where you will be.

And where we will be allowed to be.

AVA/NATIVE STUDENT/DEVON Missing and Murdered.

DR. WILSON Then a line around our women. Who you will take. And discard.

ALL Missing and Murdered.

AVA/NATIVE STUDENT/DEVON Missing and Murdered.

ALL Missing and Murdered.

ALL Missing and Murdered.

DR. WILSON Native women go missing because they are less in the eyes of those who have lost their humanity.

AVA Or never had it.

DR. WILSON Or never had it. Never understood we are on the same road.

DR. WILSON If you can cry for yourself.

Cry now like you have lost your mother.

AVA/NATIVE STUDENT And no one hears you.

DR. WILSON And cry now like you have lost your child.

AVA/NATIVE STUDENT And no one stands with you.

DR. WILSON And cry now like you have lost your sister.

AVA/NATIVE STUDENT And no one does anything.

DR. WILSON And cry now like you keep losing them over, and over, and there is no end. No end.

ALL Missing and Murdered.

Track 5, Act I, Scene 4: Ava and Jess AVA Jess?

JESS Get away from me.

AVA Jess, please.

JESS Don’t look at me. Don’t look at me like that.

JESS You’re the broken one, and you pity me?

AVA (overlapping) I can’t be the same anymore. I can’t. I have to be more.

I have to ask for more.

JESS (overlapping) I don’t know you anymore. I don’t know who you are. We were like sisters. We were like blood. I loved you. I trusted you. We were the same.

AVA I can’t be...

JESS Me. You can’t be me...

AVA Jess...

JESS I wish you had died. I wish you were dead. I wish I had gone to your funeral so I could mourn you. Black. So I could cry on green grass. But look—there are no tears. There will be no tears.

Track 6, Act I, Scene 5: Angus ANGUS Snow, mother.

Snow.

ANGUS (GITXSAN) Nee dii 'nakwxt gyo'n. Gu hl han 'un 'y.

Hla dim bagwi'm.

It’s not far now. Take my hand.

We’ll be home soon.

THE NATIVE GIRL (GITXSAN) Gal hlibh le biksxw hl si se'y. Yuk hl sigetxw diit.

My feet are too tired. They are crying.

ANGUS (GITXSAN) Bax pteltxwin.

Climb up.

ANGUS (GITXSAN) Ndahl wilhl si se'en gyo'n?

How are your feet now?

THE NATIVE GIRL (GITXSAN) Hii so lagy axxwda.

They are laughing.

ANGUS I’m sorry. I should have looked after you. I should have made sure you were safe. Take my hand.

Please take my hand.

ANGUS (GITXSAN) Ga ha'win. Go’om. Ga ha'win.

Guuhl han'un'y 'min bets'y niin.

Hugyaxet win t'k' ihlxw'm.

See hluxsw'm tsim maaxs.

T'aan lax noo'ohl'y.

Luhogyax'm hl wii gyet.

Nee diitrna hl basx'm.

Nee dii basx agu.

Si 'wii 'nakhwdin nii'y.

Gimxdi'y niin.

Gimxdi'y niin.

Ga ha'win. Go’om. Ga ha'win.

Dim guudiy hl han'un.

Goltsaxy di niin.

Hla ha'w'm dim welix'y niin.

Ga ha'win. K'e a god'n ga ha'win.

ANGUS (ENGLISH) Come home. Home. Come home.

Take my hand and I will lift you up, Like when we were children, Caught in the snow.

You on my shoulders.

We became a giant, Afraid of no one.

Afraid of nothing.

You made me taller.

You are my sister.

You are my sister.

Come home. Home. Come home.

I will take your hand.

I will lift you up.

I will carry you home.

Come home. Please come home.

DEVON Who did you think it was? You okay?

Track 7, Act I, Scene 6: Everything Has Changed in Me

DEVON I wanted you.

THE NATIVE GIRL Where are you going, girl?

AVA I wanted things to be perfect. Not knowing perfect is not things. It’s in the living. It’s in the moment of who we are.

DEVON Ava? AVA Devon.

AVA I don’t know what to say. I don’t have the words. I’ve changed.

Everything has changed in me. I don’t recognize myself.

DEVON I see you.

AVA Are you sure?

DEVON You told me once I had to get serious. I had to make a choice about what was important to me. I said you were.

AVA I wasn’t ready. I wanted things.

DEVON I see you. I want you. I want us.

AVA and DEVON We’ll start this new beginning.

Track 8, Act I, Scene 7: Language Lesson

DR. ROSE WILSON (GITXSAN) Spring. (Spring)

AVA (GITXSAN) Ha 'mi yaa (Thank you)

DR. ROSE WILSON (GITXSAN) Nox. (Home)

AVA Spring. (Spring)

AVA How do you say baby?

AVA Nox. (Home)

DR. ROSE WILSON (GITXSAN) Sint. (Summer)

DR. ROSE WILSON (GITXSAN) Hlguhlxw. (Baby).

AVA Sint. (Summer)

Track 9, Act I, Scene 8: Hlguhlxw

DR. ROSE WILSON (GITXSAN) Gimxdi. (Mother) AVA Gimxdi. (Mother) DR. ROSE WILSON (GITXSAN) Kwsit. (Brother) AVA Kwsit. (Brother) DR. ROSE WILSON (GITXSAN) Maadam. (Fall) AVA Maadam. (Fall) DR. ROSE WILSON (GITXSAN) Gwoym. (Winter) AVA Gwoym. (Winter)

DR. ROSE WILSON (GITXSAN) Ha’u. (Home) AVA Ha’u. (Home)

AVA (GITXSAN) Hlguhlxw. (Baby).

THE NATIVE GIRL (GITXSAN) Hlguhlxw. (Baby).

DR. ROSE WILSON You speak like you were meant to speak our language.

AVA What do you want from me? What do you want?

I have my life.

AVA I feel like I am remembering it. I feel I know it between my bones.

AVA Don’t go. I’m sorry.

Where did you go, girl?

DR. ROSE WILSON Words come to our voice to connect us to what is broken in us.

Now finding the space in us to heal.

Here. Blood. Here. Bones. Here. Heart. Here. Voice.

AVA and DR. WILSON Here. Here.

THE NATIVE GIRL (ghostly audio) Where did you go, girl?

AVA I am right here.

THE NATIVE GIRL I am right here.

AVA Where is here for you?

THE NATIVE GIRL Right now.

AVA What do I look like to you?

THE NATIVE GIRL Like you could be me.

If I was you.

AVA Sparrow.

THE NATIVE GIRL Sparrow.

AVA So many dreams grounded not taking flight.

THE NATIVE GIRL So many dreams grounded not taking flight.

AVA My head still hurts.

AVA and THE NATIVE GIRL So many dreams just underneath the earth.

THE NATIVE GIRL I know.

Track 10, Act I, Scene 9: A Gitxsan Wedding

AVA And here. A broken wing.

AVA Guhl han 'un 'y ii how 'miji ga'lut.

Take my hand so we can walk together into a new life.

THE NATIVE GIRL A broken wing.

AVA A broken promise.

THE NATIVE GIRL A broken promise.

DEVON Guudinhl g̱ oodi'y, ii sim hiisguxwsgitxwsi'y win sg̱ a'wen.

I am filled with happiness because we are now united as one.

AVA Hlaa dip luugwendinhl g̱ an siip'insxw gyoo'n.

Lukw'il siip'ini'y 'niin.

Lukw'il luu amhl g̱ oodi'y win ts'ilim guudi'y ehl didilsin.

Ga'ahl wilhl ḵ'oox̱ st, buxwin 'nuu'm ehl hle x̱ eeḵt.

Hlimooyit 'nuu'm ehl luugwendinsi'm.

Lu-u si'aminhl g̱ oodi'y win hlaa dim dip siḵ'abihl wilphl dag̱ ag̱ o'otxu'm.

Dim sidax̱ gedin 'nii'y, needimdiin g̱ a'luhl han'unin.

Hlimooyin 'nii'y ji hla wena'a'm g̱ o'ohl enduyini'm.

'Niin silgwe'e'y, dim am dim wila hlo'o'm lax̱ g̱ enax̱ s dip jiits' g̱ ans ye'e.

DEVON We now celebrate love.

I love you very much.

I'm so happy you've taken me into your life.

The Maple trees are celebrating with us, dusting us with their confetti.

You make me very happy that we will make additions to our elders’ house.

You make me stronger and healthier.

I will not let go of your hand.

You will help me to seed and reap our garden.

You are going to be my partner in poverty and prosperity.

AVA, DEVON, NATIVE STUDENT Hlaa dip luugwendinhl g̱ ansiip'insxw gyoo'n. (We now celebrate love.)

AVA, DEVON, NATIVE STUDENT, DR. WILSON Hlaa dip luugwendinhl g̱ ansiip'insxw gyoo'n. (We now celebrate love.)

Hlaa dip luugwendinhl g̱ ansiip'insxw gyoo'n. (We now celebrate love.)

Track 11, Act II, Scene 1a: There Should Be No Sun

Track 12, Act II, Scene 1b: The Mother's Aria

THE NATIVE MOTHER (GITXSAN) Nee dii sgi dim hloxs.

(There should be no sun.)

ANGUS Mother? Mother?

Neetxw hlox̱ s.

(No sun.)

Needii sgidim hlox̱ s. Ax̱ x̱ slax̱ hatxw.

(There should be no sun. No blue.)

THE NATIVE MOTHER (GITXSAN) Hli ji ma wilaaxhl neemdii g̱ oyp'ax̱ an. Hli ji ma wilaax win neemdii g̱ abitxwin.

(If you knew, you would not shine. If you knew, you would not show yourself.)

Joog̱ an. Joog.

(Shame. Shame.)

Daa'wihl hlguuhlxum hanaḵ'a'y.

Nda dim wila g̱ oyp'ax̱ an ehl nee huxwdii wilt g̱ o'o'y.

(My daughter is gone.

How can you shine when she is no longer here with me?)

THE NATIVE MOTHER (GITXSAN) X̱ slax̱ hatxwhl lax̱ ha. X̱ slax̱ hatxw. Hlen x̱ slax̱ hatxw. Joog̱ ’n. Neemidii ga'ada?

G̱ ahlaxwhl ts'axum lax̱ han ndahl ts'axum mi'y'y?

(Blue sky. Blue. So blue. Shame on you. Can you not see me? Under your perfect sky, where is my perfect girl?)

THE NATIVE MOTHER When you were born, The sun rose bright Against a blue sky.

Clear day, clear night.

The sun and stars Knew your name, Knew your heart, Knew you’d always come back to me.

You are my daughter.

And you will come home.

When you were born, The sun rose bright Against a blue sky.

Clear day, clear night.

You are my daughter.

And you will come home. Now. I will take your hand.

I will lift you up.

And carry you home.

Come home. Now. Ava.

Track 13, Act II, Scene 2: She Cries AVA She cries.

DR. ROSE WILSON That’s what babies do.

AVA She cries like there’s no end.

DR. ROSE WILSON Maybe she needs to hear her voice to understand she is in this world now. New. AVA Where do you think she was before?

DR. ROSE WILSON It’s not for me to say. It’s for her to know and let go of.

AVA It’s hard to let go.

DR. ROSE WILSON They say that, don’t they?

We know that, you and I. But still, she has come to you. Perfect like this.

It makes you think maybe the world she came from was perfect.

AVA It’s hard to let go.

DR. ROSE WILSON If she came from this, maybe this is where we go back to when we die.

AVA Do you really think this?

DR. ROSE WILSON When I hold her like this. When I look down on her like this.

When I hold her like this, the world gets bigger than all the things we can’t make sense of.

Track 14, Act II, Scene 3: Nightmare AVA I am running.

I am running.

A scream inside my throat Rising up to the cool air.

He is there. Or there.

He is coming.

He is coming.

THE NATIVE GIRL The branches like long hands Dig into my flesh. Long hands.

Pointing like sharp knives Into my chest.

AVA Below me, a shadowy step.

My feet sinking and catching on Rocks and leaves and parts of trees.

Sinking and stumbling, my legs like lead.

THE NATIVE GIRL Above stars above, Please help me.

AVA Please hear me.

THE NATIVE GIRL Trees, stand with me.

AVA You better not hurt me!

AVA Please help me.

THE NATIVE GIRL I want to live. I want to live.

I want to live.

THE NATIVE GIRL Please hear me.

They are silent.

They are stunned, Holding their breath In a desperate prayer.

THE NATIVE GIRL Please. Please.

Please. Tell my Momma.

Please. Please.

Tell my Momma. Tell my Momma.

Tell my Momma. I ran.

AVA I am running. I am screaming, but no one hears me.

THE NATIVE GIRL You better not hurt me!

AVA I am running. I am screaming, but no one hears me.

THE NATIVE GIRL Momma, I ran. Mamma, I ran.

Track 15, Act II, Scene 4: Ava Wake Up DEVON Ava, wake up...

Devon gathers her up in his arms.

AVA I’m sorry, Momma.

I’m sorry.

DEVON Ava, please wake up... It’s just a bad dream.

THE NATIVE GIRL Oh Momma. Oh Momma. Momma. Momma.

AVA It’s not a dream. It’s a nightmare.

THE NATIVE GIRL I want to go home.

AVA He is there.

THE NATIVE GIRL I want to go home.

AVA He is there.

THE NATIVE GIRL I want to go home.

AVA He is there. Right there.

THE NATIVE GIRL I want to go home.

DEVON A dream gone bad. A dark night.

AVA Am I here? Am I really here with you?

DEVON You’re here, Ava. You’re safe with me.

AVA Touch me... Am I real? Am I alive? Please tell you are my husband. Tell me she is our baby. We have plans. We have our own lives.

DEVON Ava, Ava you are alive. I am your husband. She is our baby.

We are safe here. We have each other.

Track 16, Act II, Scene 5: You Don't Have to Be Afraid of Me

THE NATIVE GIRL I just want to hold her.

And never let her go.

AVA AND DEVON’S LIVING ROOM. NIGHT.

THE NATIVE GIRL I’ll just hold her in my arms.

I want to say I love you.

I want to say I will never let anything bad happen to you.

You don’t have to be afraid of me.

Devon is fast asleep, but the baby fusses, beginning to cry.

Ava picks her up, pacing the room, trying to soothe her.

Instead, Ava begins to cry herself.

AVA Having you has scared me.

Having you has made me realize I have everything to lose.

AVA Please don’t cry.

Everything will be all right.

Momma’s here.

AVA Please.

Please go away.

Please don’t take her.

She is not yours.

Don’t look at her.

She’s mine.

There are so many bad things in the world.

So many bad things that can take what we love away.

THE NATIVE GIRL You never told me what you called her.

What is her name?

AVA Sparrow.

THE NATIVE GIRL Sparrow. Nel Dzay Ya (Sparrow).

Hlidaa sgedin, ts'etl'xw win gi'nitxw hlox̱ s, g̱ alx̱ dilhl x̱ slax̱ hatxum lax̱ ha, g̱ oyp'ax̱ se, g̱ alksi g̱ abitxwhl ax̱ xw.

Hlidaa sgedin, ts'etl'xw win gi'nitxw hlox̱ s.

G̱ alx̱ dilhl x̲ slax̲ hatxum lax̲ ha... g̱ oyp'ax̱ se g̱ alksi g̱ abitxwhl ax̱ xw.

Hlox̱ s g̱ anhl bi'lust Wilaaxdiithl wen.

Wilaaxdiithl g̱ oodin.

Wilaaxdiithl g̱ enax̱ an.

Wilaaxdiithl g̱ enax̱ an.

Dimedigwil luuyeltxwt g̱ o'o'y.

Hlidaa sgedin, ts'etl'xw win.

Translation (with AVA): When you were born, The sun rose bright Against a blue sky.

Clear day, clear night.

The sun and stars Knew your name, Knew your heart, Knew you’d always come back to me.

When you were born, The sun rose bright Against a blue sky.

Clear day, clear night.

NATIVE MOTHER (GITXSAN) Hlguuhlxum hanaḵ'a'y 'niin. Gyoo'n. G̱ a ha'win. G̱ a ha'win. G̱ a ha'win.

(My child is lost. Gone. Come home.

Come home.)

ANGUS (GITXSAN) G̱ a ha'win. Ḵ'e'e g̱ oodin g̱ a ha'win.

G̱ a ha'win. G̱ a ha'win.

(Come home. Please, come home.

Come home. Come home.)

THE NATIVE GIRL I need to go home.

I am your daughter. Home.

I am your sister. Home.

I want to go home.

I want to go home.

I am your daughter.

I am your sister.

You are my brother.

You will take my hand.

You will lift me up.

And carry me home.

Home.

I need to go home.

Home.

AVA You are my daughter.

You are my daughter.

I will take your hand.

I will lift you up.

And carry you home.

Home.

Track 17, Act II, Scene 6: I Saw Your Eyes HIGHWAY 16. FOREST. NIGHT. A RECKONING. THE NATIVE GIRL I wanted to be you so I could live.

I had plans, like you have plans.

My head hurts.

AVA I know.

THE NATIVE GIRL My arm hurts.

AVA I know.

THE NATIVE GIRL My private parts hurt.

AVA I know.

THE NATIVE GIRL My heart hurts.

AVA I know.

THE NATIVE GIRL/AVA I saw her eyes. Did I tell you?

I saw her eyes in me. Did I tell you?

I saw her face. Did I tell you?

I saw her face in mine.

Track 18, Epilogue I saw her life. Did I tell you?

I saw my life in her. I saw my life in her.

AVA Laying here like this, she saw a sparrow in the branches.

She whispered her breath like the wind.

THE NATIVE GIRL (Ghostly) Sparrow.

AVA Fly away.

THE NATIVE GIRL (Ghostly) A broken sparrow still has wings.

AVA A broken sparrow can still fly—home.

THE NATIVE MOTHER AND ANGUS (GITXSAN) G̱ a ha'win. Home. G̱ a ha'win. Come home.

ANGUS (Shouting) My sister was on her way home from school.

She was going to graduate.

She was going to learn her language.

She was going to go to law school to become a lawyer.

THE NATIVE MOTHER Where did you go, girl? Where?

ANGUS She had plans.

She wanted a family.

She wanted to live.

She wanted to love.

THE NATIVE MOTHER Where did you go, girl?

Where did you go, girl?

ANGUS She wanted what every human being wants.

THE NATIVE MOTHER How can our daughters live?

How can our daughters live?

She steps forward, looking directly at the audience.

THE NATIVE MOTHER Do you see me?

Do you recognize me?

I am a mother.

If you have loved a child, I am you.

We are waiting.

We are missing.

We are missing them.

What are you missing?

SPECIAL THANKS FROM ATOM (Artists of The Opera Missing): The Canada Council for the Arts, The Ontario Arts Council, The Plimpton Foundation, Latitude45 Arts Promotion, Leaf Music, City Opera Vancouver, Pacific Opera Victoria, Vincent Gogag, Charles Barber, Andy Moro, Barbara Scales, Jonathon Crow and Carey Newman.

-Further information about MISSING, its past and future productions, the work and the artists involved can be found at: https://www.latitude45arts.com/composer-catalogue-2/MISSING French texts contents of the CD booklet can be found at that same site.

Tous les textes se trouvent en français ici: https://www.latitude45arts.com/composer-catalogue-2/MISSING

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