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SURRENDER PERFORMANCE NOTES

Surrender is a t’ai qi cantata for choir and two soloists. The vocals and movements must be performed from memory. The vocal/movement score is two 8.5” x 11” pages, which can be copied as one 11” x 17” page if helpful during the rehearsal process. Surrender alternates between solo statements and choir canons. The canon begins on the bar for both the vocal and movement phrase. CANON I (three groups of eight with a balanced number of high/middle/low voices in each group): whispered vocal percussion to singing in three repetitions; the first two groups hold /huo/ in m. 13 to end with the third group. CANON II (three groups of eight based on range): repeat three times; each repetition is raised a whole step to increase the intensity of overtones. CANON III (eight groups of three that merge into one group of 24): the movement and voices gradually coalesce after the soloists sing both their Mandarin phrases. Do the movement phrase with audible inhale/exhales after two tutti “My blood becomes and ocean. My breath surrounds you.” Then close the movement form.

TEXT AND TRANSLATIONS

Mandarin text from Verse 22 of the Dao De Jing by Lao Tzu Preferred translation (not sung) by Sanderson Beck

English text written for SURRENDER by Aaron Jafferis

I will stand still and shut my mouth and watch you and listen.

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