Mark Twain
Quotes
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For Two Sopranos and
Piano
Doug
Harbin
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© 2013 Doug Harbin
All Rights Reserved
Mark Twain Quotes was composed while serving an artist residency at the Banff
Centre in the fall of 2012. As a compositional exercise, I set a different quote by
Mark Twain each day before I allowed myself to eat lunch. This collection is the
best of these daily compositions. The complete set is around 9 minutes in
duration and is comprised of seven short songs:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
But Who Prays?
Lord Save Us
Forgiveness
Let Us Not Be Too Particular*
Man Was Made
No Sinner*
The Truth
The songs may be sung in any order or a subset may be chosen for
performance.
* Two songs (“Let Us Not Be Too Particular” & “No Sinner”) have alternate
versions. “Let Us Not Be Too Particular” may be sung in unison or may be split
between the two sopranos by systems (see note within this particular
movement). “No Sinner” may either be sung by one soprano or may also be
split between the two singers (see note within this particular movement).
The cycle is based on a systematic form of composition that I have called the
Take-Away System. Each song in the cycle utilizes the system differently. For
example, “But Who Prays” uses all twelve pitches while “Lord Save Us” utilizes
only five pitches. “No Sinner” organizes a twenty-note chromatic range and
“Man Was Made” systematizes both a diatonic seven-pitch set and rhythmic
durations.
for Soprani Compagni
made possible by a grant from the Arizona Commission on the Arts
But Who Prays?
But who prays for Satan? Who, in eighteen centuries, has had
the common humanity to pray for the one sinner that needed it most?
Doug Harbin
Words: Mark Twain
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©2013 All Rights Reserved
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