Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was published in 1865, and the Bechdel test didn’t come around for another 120 years. Add that to the bizarre and mathematical nature of Alice, and it’s no surprise that my first written songs would be set to poetry from these books. I have, in my past, been considered both bizarre and mathematical in nature.
I have chosen to work with four poems from the first book, and three from the second, Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There. Counting the introductory and closing poems, as well as five nursery rhymes, there are 23 poems in both books. They're listed chronologically under the "Misc Remarks" section at the end of the post. Two of the nursery rhymes, "Twinkle Twinkle Little Bat," and "Hush-a-by Lady," are each four lines only, and already have popular tunes of their own. Both of these tunes are briefly quoted. The four songs from the first book make up the first half of the set, and a hearty break for water is encouraged before the second half.
The set takes half an hour to perform, and the titles of the poems are:
1. How Doth the Little Crocodile (2 minutes)
2. You are Old, Father William (4 minutes)
3. 'Tis the Voice of the Lobster (2 minutes)
4. Turtle Soup (5 minutes)
5. Jabberwocky (4 minutes)
6. The Walrus and the Carpenter (8 minutes)
7. To the Looking-Glass World (5 minutes)
Each of the 7 songs is written with a different number of flats in the key signature. The first song I composed, "Jabberwocky," was a birthday present for George in December of 2011, as my pet name for him is Jabberwocky. (Okay, it's actually Jabberbabywocky.) The other 6 were written in March and April of 2021, about a decade later. Here's a chart.
I think that's enough for right now. I'll keep adding to this post as time goes on!
(27 Jan 2022)----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SONG I
"Jabberwocky" is the most famous poem in the books. The next song I wrote was the second most famous poem, "The Walrus and the Carpenter" (10 Mar 2021). One time when we were kids on vacation, my sister put the whopping 18 verses into her short-term memory just for fun, all in the course of an evening in the hot tub. It's no surprise that there aren't many other renditions, and now might be a good time to emphasize that I have preserved the text verbatim, down to the spellings and punctuations. So yes, you really will have to sing 18 verses of "The Walrus and the Carpenter." But not today. Of course I would close the set with "To The Looking Glass World" (23 Mar 2021). What could be more climactic than a celebration of Alice as Queen? Raise a glass!
With the second half completed, it was time to turn my attention to the beginning, and this is where my story of this week begins - with our opening song, "How Doth the Little Crocodile," written 27 Mar 2021.
STORY
A girl named Alice is lazily sitting by a riverbank when she notices a clothed white rabbit running by. Naturally, she follows him down a rabbit hole. She lands in a hall with a glass table holding a key that opens a very small door to the Queen's garden. In the hall, she drinks a potion and shrinks, eats a cake and grows, and promptly cries a sea of tears. Just as Alice starts to realize that she isn't in Kansas anymore (another Bechdel pass!), she tries to recite "Against Idleness and Mischief" by Isaac Watts, and fails spectacularly with "How Doth the Little Crocodile."
"I'm sure those are not the right words,” said poor Alice,and her eyes filled with tears again as she went on...
And here we will leave our adorable, confused, poor little Alice for the time being.
The beginning of each vocal phrase is imitated by the right hand just two beats later.
(30 Jan 2022)
COMPOSITION NOTES
Out of all the poems I chose, this one is the very shortest. We begin in 7/4 time, which acknowledges the number of pieces in the set. The original poem is about the busy and hard-working bee, so the parody on the slow moving crocodile really takes its time. The style of the piano accompaniment shows an obvious influence from Chopin Waltzes in general, but none specifically. Here's one of the most famous Chopin waltzes, just to get an idea:
The little postlude in m. 21-22 ends the phrase very much like the ending of "My Own Home" from Disney's Jungle Book. I had no thematic reason to do this; it was just the right way to end the phrase! This video is not at all necessary to watch; it's more of a weird coincidence than anything else.
A LITTLE THEORY
Crocodile is written exclusively in the key of B♭ double harmonic minor.
The B♭ natural minor scale is: B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭.
The B♭ harmonic minor scale is: B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G♭, A♮, B♭.
The B♭ double harmonic minor scale is: B♭, C, D♭, E♮, F, G♭, A♮, B♭.
In other words, in addition to the augmented second between the sixth and seventh scale degrees, there's another one between the third and the fourth. This is also called a "Hungarian minor scale" or a "gypsy scale." The scale has a captivating melody, but I wanted to take it a step further and see what kinds of diatonic harmonies this collection of pitches would produce.
PERFORMANCE NOTES
Range: F3 - D♭5
Oh, this song requires a lot of breath! The long notes aren't meant to be held very purely; I would like a lot of dynamic movement (really over-shape each phrase as much as possible), and I'd go so far as to encourage a bending of the tone if not the pitch. Two glissandi are flat-out written into the score. The performance should focus on expression, with an almost blatant disregard for perfection/accuracy. We're entering a Wonderland of sorts - one where crescendos, decrescendos, and doing weird things with sustained notes are much more important than sustaining long notes very accurately.
For inspiration on the bendiness, 1:15-1:25 of Robert Lloyd's performance of "La Callunia" from Rossini's Barber of Seville might be helpful. I can never get enough of this performance. I saw it on a LaserDisc when I was about 18 years old, and I've been a little in love with him ever since. OMG I just clicked on the link to make sure I'm still in love with him, and I'm too overwhelmed from falling in love again to even remember what I was asking myself.
Well, that took me longer to write than I had anticipated. I can only assume it will take some time to read, and that's not even including the Rubinstein, the Lloyd, and the practice track. Until next week!
(30 Jan 2022)----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SONG II
This one was the hardest to write, and with very good reason (so much so that I skipped ahead and finished the third song, "'Tis the Voice of the Lobster," on 11 Apr 2021, and didn't finish this until ten days later.) You see, this one is called "You Are Old, Father William." And because we are in my Wonderland, I get to choose who Father William is. And as far as I can tell, the William that takes first prize both for being very old and also very famous is none other than William Byrd (1540-1623). So it was time to roll up my sleeves and review a bit of counterpoint from the era. I wrote to my former professor Dr. David Neumeyer to get myself counterpointed in the right direction, and he sent me some Dowland scores, for "Solo songs with lute -- and Dowland's were by far the most famous during the era -- were the pop songs of the Elizabethan age."
He's so badass. Emailing Dr. David Neumeyer with a question on counterpoint is pretty much like having a conversation with Sir David Attenborough and asking him about any well known species.
STORY
We last left Alice about to face a sea of her own tears. At sea, she offends a Mouse and gets washed ashore, where she enters a pointless “caucus race” with a Lory, a Duck, a Dodo, an Eaglet, and “several other creatures.” She scares everybody off by mentioning her cat Dinah, and this brings us to Chapter 4 in which the White Rabbit returns and admonishes Alice as if she were his own housemaid, calling her Mary Ann. She drinks another potion and grows much too large for the White Rabbit’s house. Pebbles are hurled at giant Alice, but they turn into little cakes, which help her shrink and run away.Now we come to the part where Alice meets a Blue Caterpillar smoking a hookah. She tells him about what happened with “Against Idleness and Mischief,” and he asks her to recite “The Old Man’s Comforts and How He Gained Them” by Robert Southey. She recites, "You Are Old, Father William" instead.
“That is not said right,” said the Caterpillar.
“Not quite right, I’m afraid,” said Alice, timidly; “some of the words have got altered.”
“It is wrong from beginning to end,” said the Caterpillar decidedly,
“That is not said right,” said the Caterpillar.
“Not quite right, I’m afraid,” said Alice, timidly; “some of the words have got altered.”
“It is wrong from beginning to end,” said the Caterpillar decidedly,
and there was silence for some minutes.
COMPOSITION NOTES
This is the long poem from the first half of Outgrabe, with eight 4-line verses. The vocal line is split between two characters who are taking turns, so think of Erlkönig, but rather stupid, and not at all tragic.
Father William's first verse begins with a memorable ascending octave leap, and his second, third, and fourth verses are variations on his first verse, which devolve as the song progresses. (More on that below.) The son's verses, by contrast, are repeated as originally stated. They're much faster and more straightforward.
The postlude quotes "Twinkle Twinkle Little Bat," with 5 stretto entrances on an increasingly farfetched version of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." (This is because Twinkle happens at the tea party later, but before the next song Lobster.)
Twinkle elides into quoting the actual plagal cadence of Byrd's "Ave Verum Corpus" in its original key, which in its own context is quite breathtaking.
A LITTLE THEORY
To imitate Dowland/Byrd, I wrote William's accompaniment in a three-voice texture that
Mostly avoided doubling the melody
Mostly stayed on root position and first inversion triads
Mostly avoided parallel fifths and octaves, and
Mostly treated 2nds, 4ths, & 7ths from the bass as unaccented passing tones or suspensions.
William's phrases are punctuated with 4-3 suspensions on G major and D major cadences.
I know you have fallen asleep by now, but I'm very proud of this:
Each of William's melodic phrases appears in rhythmic augmentation in the bass. Whaaaat?!
Also, there's always some middle voice imitation.
Each of William's verses has four phrases.
The first phrase remains relatively untouched throughout the verses to set the stage.
The second verse ruins its 2nd phrase:
The words, "I kept all my limbs very supple," are illustrated with a diverging melodic line.
The third verse ruins its 2nd and 3rd phrases:
The word "argued" is illustrated with a series of 3 ascending tritones in the 2nd phrase.
The word "strong" displays strength with a high 5-beat note in the 3rd phrase.
The fourth verse ruins its 2nd, 3rd, and 4th phrases, all of which have blatant parallel 5ths.
As Dr. David Neumeyer put it, "[parallel] fifths will irritate the pedantically minded."
The second verse ruins its 2nd phrase:
The words, "I kept all my limbs very supple," are illustrated with a diverging melodic line.
The third verse ruins its 2nd and 3rd phrases:
The word "argued" is illustrated with a series of 3 ascending tritones in the 2nd phrase.
The word "strong" displays strength with a high 5-beat note in the 3rd phrase.
The fourth verse ruins its 2nd, 3rd, and 4th phrases, all of which have blatant parallel 5ths.
As Dr. David Neumeyer put it, "[parallel] fifths will irritate the pedantically minded."
(Seriously. Badass.)
PERFORMANCE NOTES
Range: G3 - E♭5
Your main job here is to be taking yourself very seriously as Father William, as if you are singing very beautiful, profound, and possibly sacred music. That will probably require deep breaths, and perhaps at times, little to no vibrato. The son's verses, on the other hand, go by very quickly. For those, just do whatever you can to sound like a different person as much as possible. You could put on an accent, try to sound like a bratty child, or just whatever you need to do to get ready to be Father William again. If you want to focus on something technical for the son, you can think about his opening tritone, but honestly, he's not very important.
Stay tuned for the Lobster next week!
(06 Feb 2022)----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SONG III
I was originally going to write "The Lobster Quadrille." But then I realized that the Mock Turtle sings it "very slowly and sadly," and unfortunately, the set was begging me to write a sea shanty. We all know by now, with my long notes, and slow tempos, and lengthy rests, that I like to take my time. However, there is only so much time-taking an audience can take, and now was not the time for more taking of time. It's the fastest song in the set.
Lobster is a parody on a poem about a "sluggard," or a lazy person, so in contrast to Crocodile (which was a parody on a poem about a busy bee), this one really has to move. The feel is a tarantella, specifically Captain Hook's.
STORY
After Alice’s unpleasant encounter with the Caterpillar, she learns to control her size with pieces of a mushroom. Her neck elongates, and she is mistaken for a serpent by a Pigeon.
After she shrinks again, she observes a conversation (in which an invitation is delivered for the Dutchess to play croquet with the Queen) between the Fish-Footman and the Frog-Footman, and speaks with the latter before letting herself into the Duchess’ house. The Duchess nurses a baby as a Cook puts too much pepper into the soup. Like much too much. We meet the Cheshire Cat, and the baby turns into a pig.
After she shrinks again, she observes a conversation (in which an invitation is delivered for the Dutchess to play croquet with the Queen) between the Fish-Footman and the Frog-Footman, and speaks with the latter before letting herself into the Duchess’ house. The Duchess nurses a baby as a Cook puts too much pepper into the soup. Like much too much. We meet the Cheshire Cat, and the baby turns into a pig.
(Maybe I should apply for a job at Cliffs Notes.)
You may be wondering why I neglected to include “Speak Roughly to Your Little Boy,” as it is one of the more famous poems. There are two good reasons for this: first, I don’t find the absurdity of beating a baby amusing; second, the chorus of the song is literally, “Wow! Wow! Wow!” I couldn’t think of a great reason to bend over backwards to make that work, so I simply didn’t.
You may be wondering why I neglected to include “Speak Roughly to Your Little Boy,” as it is one of the more famous poems. There are two good reasons for this: first, I don’t find the absurdity of beating a baby amusing; second, the chorus of the song is literally, “Wow! Wow! Wow!” I couldn’t think of a great reason to bend over backwards to make that work, so I simply didn’t.
Anyway, the Cheshire directs Alice to the Mad Tea Party. I don’t know about you, but this is quintessential Alice to me. Here are two of my favorite excerpts.
“Why is a raven like a writing-desk?”
“Come, we shall have some fun now!” thought Alice.
“Come, we shall have some fun now!” thought Alice.
“I’m glad they’ve begun asking riddles.—I believe I can guess that,” she added aloud.
“Do you mean that you think you can find out the answer to it?” said the March Hare.
“Exactly so,” said Alice.
“Then you should say what you mean,” the March Hare went on.
“I do,” Alice hastily replied; “at least—at least I mean what I say
“Do you mean that you think you can find out the answer to it?” said the March Hare.
“Exactly so,” said Alice.
“Then you should say what you mean,” the March Hare went on.
“I do,” Alice hastily replied; “at least—at least I mean what I say
—that’s the same thing, you know.”
“Not the same thing a bit!” said the Hatter.
“Not the same thing a bit!” said the Hatter.
“You might just as well say that ‘I see what I eat’ is the same thing as ‘I eat what I see’!”
“You might just as well say,” added the March Hare,
“You might just as well say,” added the March Hare,
“that ‘I like what I get’ is the same thing as ‘I get what I like’!”
"You might just as well say," added the Dormouse, who seemed to be talking in his sleep,
"that 'I breathe when I sleep' is the same thing as 'I sleep when I breathe'!"
“Take some more tea,” the March Hare said to Alice, very earnestly.
“I’ve had nothing yet,” Alice replied in an offended tone, “so I can’t take more.”
“You mean you can’t take less,” said the Hatter: “it’s very easy to take more than nothing.”
“Nobody asked your opinion,” said Alice.
“Who’s making personal remarks now?” the Hatter asked triumphantly.
Oh, the comedy gold. The chapter closes with Alice entering the Queen of Hearts’ beautiful garden, which she had been longing to explore since the sea of tears. She meets some cards and the King and Queen of hearts, and plays croquet using flamingos and hedgehogs. The Queen orders the Cheshire to be beheaded, and the executioner (as well as a large crowd) finds difficulty in removing a head with no body present. Because the Cheshire belongs to the Duchess, she is released from prison to settle the dispute, and escorts Alice for a short time. The Queen returns, the Duchess flees, and the Queen introduces Alice to the Gryphon and the Mock Turtle.
Chapter 10 has a whopping three poems: “The Lobster Quadrille,” “’Tis the Voice of the Lobster,” and “Turtle Soup.” The Quadrille is performed by the Gryphon and the Mock Turtle together, who then ask Alice to tell them of her adventures. When she explains what happened with “The Old Man’s Comforts and How He Gained Them,” the Gryphon asks her to recite Isaac Watt’s “The Sluggard.” Of course, it comes out as “’Tis the Voice of the Lobster” instead. Their little party ends with the Mock Turtle’s performance of the song, “Turtle Soup.”
COMPOSITION NOTES
This poem is eight pairs of rhyming lines, which I've set in eight 3-line verses on 3 related melodies. The broken rhythmic pattern with long rests in the vocal line foreshadows the verse of the final song, "Looking-Glass World."
“Take some more tea,” the March Hare said to Alice, very earnestly.
“I’ve had nothing yet,” Alice replied in an offended tone, “so I can’t take more.”
“You mean you can’t take less,” said the Hatter: “it’s very easy to take more than nothing.”
“Nobody asked your opinion,” said Alice.
“Who’s making personal remarks now?” the Hatter asked triumphantly.
Oh, the comedy gold. The chapter closes with Alice entering the Queen of Hearts’ beautiful garden, which she had been longing to explore since the sea of tears. She meets some cards and the King and Queen of hearts, and plays croquet using flamingos and hedgehogs. The Queen orders the Cheshire to be beheaded, and the executioner (as well as a large crowd) finds difficulty in removing a head with no body present. Because the Cheshire belongs to the Duchess, she is released from prison to settle the dispute, and escorts Alice for a short time. The Queen returns, the Duchess flees, and the Queen introduces Alice to the Gryphon and the Mock Turtle.
Chapter 10 has a whopping three poems: “The Lobster Quadrille,” “’Tis the Voice of the Lobster,” and “Turtle Soup.” The Quadrille is performed by the Gryphon and the Mock Turtle together, who then ask Alice to tell them of her adventures. When she explains what happened with “The Old Man’s Comforts and How He Gained Them,” the Gryphon asks her to recite Isaac Watt’s “The Sluggard.” Of course, it comes out as “’Tis the Voice of the Lobster” instead. Their little party ends with the Mock Turtle’s performance of the song, “Turtle Soup.”
COMPOSITION NOTES
This poem is eight pairs of rhyming lines, which I've set in eight 3-line verses on 3 related melodies. The broken rhythmic pattern with long rests in the vocal line foreshadows the verse of the final song, "Looking-Glass World."
The poem ends with the words, "concluded the banquet by -." The piano, then, has to finish the poem with the heavily implied, "eating the Owl." It's very annoying to play because it's very hard to play, and my part goes, "And concluded the banquet by eating the Owl! Eating the Owl! Eating the Owl! Eating the Owl! The Owl! [wrong note]." Because I don't have actual words like you do, I have to repeat myself in octaves and shout like that when it's important.
A LITTLE THEORY
This one is written in melodic minor with straightforward harmonies, marked by strong 2-beat rhythms.
It was necessary to ruin all of this strait-laced business, so wrong notes (the raised 4th, the lowered 2nd, and the lowered 6th) are often placed on the second pulse, and the rhythms are slightly obscured by misaligned right hand groupings of 3, which happen right before vocal entrances. (You're welcome; curtsy.)
The little variations, sections B and C, venture to the parallel and relative majors respectively. The introductions to the F major sections (B1 and B2) outline an F major chord in the right hand against F minor harmonies in the left. This bitonality foreshadows the E section of Walrus, but it's not as cringy as what's to come. "Walrus E Section Light," if you will.
Between your first and second phrases, my part has a descending scale in the left hand against a downwards moving sequence in the right. Between your second and third phrases, however, my hands play inversions of these ideas, so my right hand plays an ascending scale against a rising sequence in the left hand.
The final A sections (A3 and A4) use imitation to help set up the piano's statement of the last line (that owl line), which pretty much proves that I am a fun person.
PERFORMANCE NOTES
Range: A3 - D♭5
Compared to the other ones, this is very easy to learn. Really! You don't need long breaths or lots of phrasing - just some consonant spitting and a bit of energy. It's just a silly little quirky jig of a thing, and if I practice the annoying ending, we should end up going a bit faster than this practice recording.
Next week I will reward you with sincerity at last, for we shall be singing about Turtle Soup.
(20 Feb 2022)----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SONG IV
The fourth song, which was the last song I composed, was completed on 27 Apr 2021. "Turtle Soup" is performed by a crying Mock Turtle because in real life, marine turtles discharge salty water through ducts near their eyes. We won't be crying (if all goes as planned), but for a laugh, here's Cary Grant doing just that in the 1933 film.
STORY
It's story time again. Everybody, please sit down in a circle criss cross applesauce. Because I’ve already introduced “Turtle Soup,” there’s nothing left to do now but conclude the first book, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Ah yes, we last saw Alice with the Mock Turtle and the Gryphon. As the Mock Turtle finishes his performance of “Turtle Soup,” the Gryphon leads Alice to The Trial, where the King of Hearts is the judge and the jury is full of silly creatures. The White Rabbit reads the first verse of Mother Goose’s “The Tarts,” which tells the tale of the Knave (Jack) of Hearts stealing the Queen’s tarts. The Hatter and the Duchess’ Cook are both called as witnesses. Alice is called next, and “The Letter in the Trial,” a confusing parody of “Alice Gray” by William Lee, is read in court. In very little time, the Queen calls for the beheading of Alice.
“Who cares for you?” says Alice, (she had grown to her full size by this time.)
“You’re nothing but a pack of cards!”
At this the whole pack rose up into the air, and came flying down upon her:
It's story time again. Everybody, please sit down in a circle criss cross applesauce. Because I’ve already introduced “Turtle Soup,” there’s nothing left to do now but conclude the first book, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Ah yes, we last saw Alice with the Mock Turtle and the Gryphon. As the Mock Turtle finishes his performance of “Turtle Soup,” the Gryphon leads Alice to The Trial, where the King of Hearts is the judge and the jury is full of silly creatures. The White Rabbit reads the first verse of Mother Goose’s “The Tarts,” which tells the tale of the Knave (Jack) of Hearts stealing the Queen’s tarts. The Hatter and the Duchess’ Cook are both called as witnesses. Alice is called next, and “The Letter in the Trial,” a confusing parody of “Alice Gray” by William Lee, is read in court. In very little time, the Queen calls for the beheading of Alice.
“Who cares for you?” says Alice, (she had grown to her full size by this time.)
“You’re nothing but a pack of cards!”
At this the whole pack rose up into the air, and came flying down upon her:
she gave a little scream, half of fright and half of anger, and tried to beat them off,
and found herself lying on the bank, with her head in the lap of her sister,
who was gently brushing away some dead leaves
and found herself lying on the bank, with her head in the lap of her sister,
who was gently brushing away some dead leaves
that had fluttered down from the trees upon her face.
Alice, having woken up, goes to tea (she is late), and her sister stays on the bank for a short time, ruminating on Wonderland.
The End.
COMPOSITION NOTES
“Turtle Soup” ends the first half of the songs and the first book of adventures, so its postlude quotes Lobster, William, and Crocodile in that order. Lobster is juxtaposed with the interlude theme of Turtle, William uses imitation as it ought, and Crocodile has shifted into a major key. It’s their kiss goodbye.
The unusual spellings in the original poem are preserved (Beau-ootiful Soo-oop!). Most notably, "two pennyworth" is broken up into "twop ennyworth" so that "twop" rhymes with "soup."
On a related note, instead of treating the word “evening” as a two syllable word, I have broken it into three as a play on words - like the even-ing of a string of eighth notes rather than the time of day.
The left hand crossovers foreshadow the seventh and final song, “Looking-Glass World,” which also has a postlude that quotes the other songs from that book, Walrus and Jabberwocky.
A LITTLE THEORY
We’re flirting with the lydian mode, which is just like a major scale with a raised fourth scale degree. Lydian tends to sound a little bit magical.
The double flats in the chorus are part of a German augmented sixth chord (E♭♭- G♭- A - C in the key of G♭), and that's really all there is to say. Harmonically, Turtle is probably the simplest in the set, which means we can take a break from all my headaches and try to be nice for a change.
PERFORMANCE NOTES
Range: A♭3 - E♭5
Although this song is more relaxed and flowy than the others, the vocal line is filled with large intervals. There are a few subtle differences between the first and second verses to keep an eye out for: the first verse has a little word painting on "dainties" and stoop.” The second verse is a little harder; the word “give” jumps to a C♭ after a very recent C♮, and "twop" is on an ascending augmented second.
SCORE Turtle Soup
On a related note, instead of treating the word “evening” as a two syllable word, I have broken it into three as a play on words - like the even-ing of a string of eighth notes rather than the time of day.
The left hand crossovers foreshadow the seventh and final song, “Looking-Glass World,” which also has a postlude that quotes the other songs from that book, Walrus and Jabberwocky.
A LITTLE THEORY
We’re flirting with the lydian mode, which is just like a major scale with a raised fourth scale degree. Lydian tends to sound a little bit magical.
The double flats in the chorus are part of a German augmented sixth chord (E♭♭- G♭- A - C in the key of G♭), and that's really all there is to say. Harmonically, Turtle is probably the simplest in the set, which means we can take a break from all my headaches and try to be nice for a change.
PERFORMANCE NOTES
Range: A♭3 - E♭5
Although this song is more relaxed and flowy than the others, the vocal line is filled with large intervals. There are a few subtle differences between the first and second verses to keep an eye out for: the first verse has a little word painting on "dainties" and stoop.” The second verse is a little harder; the word “give” jumps to a C♭ after a very recent C♮, and "twop" is on an ascending augmented second.
SCORE Turtle Soup
Next week: where it all began!
(20 Feb 2022)----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SONG V
As previously mentioned, I wrote this in 2011 as a birthday present for George. My good friend Celeste recorded it with me at Mollberg Piano Restoration. A funny thing happened - I threw the score away mostly by accident. I deleted the digital file, assuming I would never need it, and eventually discarded the physical copy, figuring nobody would ever use it. After a decade, I decided to expand the set if I could find the original, and Celeste still had her copy. Were it not for her, I probably would have shrugged my shoulders and never written Outgrabe.
This is because we're in my Wonderland, and I like the Jabberwocky. What’s not to like? We all have jaws that bite and claws that catch, and if we’re to take Tenniel seriously, Jabberbabywocky even wears a little vest. Welcome to the dark opening to the second half of the set.
The word “outgrabe” comes from the poem “Jabberwocky.” My opening inscription reads,
This collection was titled, ‘Outgrabe,’
for so had my carnivorous borogove
upon catching a glimpse
of the group of crows
through the curious glass
on that one cruel and Golden Afternoon.
Dedicated to my George,
who does the cooking and cleaning
so I can do whatever it is that I do.
To make sense of this, first we need a bit of vocabulary:
Outgrabe is the past tense of the verb to outgribe.
It is connected with the old verb to grille or strike,
from which are derived shriek and creak. “Squeaked.”
Borogove - an extinct kind of Parrot.
They had no wings, beaks turned up, made their nests under sun-dials and lived on veal.
Each line in the inscription features a "c" and a "g" because the dedication is written to George for the cooking and cleaning. “All in the Golden Afternoon” is the title of the opening poem, which happens before Chapter 1 of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The “curious glass” is a conflation of “curiouser and curiouser,” and “looking glass.” Alice’s most famous quote, “curiouser and curiouser,” happens right after the EAT ME cake, as she is "opening out like the largest telescope that ever was," before she recites “How Doth the Little Crocodile.”
There’s also a hidden riddle in my inscription: a group of crows is called a murder, so the scene through the looking glass is actually a reference to the slaying of the Jabberwocky. I think these darker undertones are fitting, because when you think about it, there’s so often an element of murder/consumption in the absurdities of Wonderland. Why, just in five of the seven poems I’ve chosen, we have:
"And welcomes little fishes in with gently smiling jaws"
"Concluded the banquet by eating the Owl"
No quote here, but there is a Mock Turtle singing about turtle soup!
"He left it dead, and with its head, he went galumphing back"
"Shall we be trotting home again?
To make sense of this, first we need a bit of vocabulary:
Outgrabe is the past tense of the verb to outgribe.
It is connected with the old verb to grille or strike,
from which are derived shriek and creak. “Squeaked.”
Borogove - an extinct kind of Parrot.
They had no wings, beaks turned up, made their nests under sun-dials and lived on veal.
Each line in the inscription features a "c" and a "g" because the dedication is written to George for the cooking and cleaning. “All in the Golden Afternoon” is the title of the opening poem, which happens before Chapter 1 of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The “curious glass” is a conflation of “curiouser and curiouser,” and “looking glass.” Alice’s most famous quote, “curiouser and curiouser,” happens right after the EAT ME cake, as she is "opening out like the largest telescope that ever was," before she recites “How Doth the Little Crocodile.”
There’s also a hidden riddle in my inscription: a group of crows is called a murder, so the scene through the looking glass is actually a reference to the slaying of the Jabberwocky. I think these darker undertones are fitting, because when you think about it, there’s so often an element of murder/consumption in the absurdities of Wonderland. Why, just in five of the seven poems I’ve chosen, we have:
"And welcomes little fishes in with gently smiling jaws"
"Concluded the banquet by eating the Owl"
No quote here, but there is a Mock Turtle singing about turtle soup!
"He left it dead, and with its head, he went galumphing back"
"Shall we be trotting home again?
But answer came there none - and that was scarcely odd, because they’d eaten every one."
This is to say nothing of the Queen of Hearts! Some people take the dystopian view of Wonderland to the extreme. One remarkable adaptation is the 1988 film Alice by Švankmajer. With very little warning, here’s a scene.
STORY
The plot of Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There is based on a nonsensical chess problem. If you’d like to see the actual chess moves, scroll down to the bottom of this post. We won’t track each one of these in our story times, but we'll follow Alice’s six moves down the board, from D2 to D4, to D5, to D6, to D7, to D8, and over to E8 (checkmate).
After the chess problem and an introductory poem, “Child of the Pure Unclouded Brow,” we settle into Chapter 1 with Alice, Dinah, and her two kittens. Alice imagines what the other side of the looking-glass is like, and before too long, the glass melts away. On the other side, she observes several live chess pieces interacting with one another. A book on a table catches her eye, and she opens it to the poem “Jabberwocky.” She is unable to read it until she realizes it's a "looking-glass book." She brings the book to the looking-glass and reads one of the most famous poems ever written.
COMPOSITION NOTES
The poem “Jabberwocky” was written in seven stanzas, with the last being the same as the first. I have composed the music to illustrate each of these independently.
Section A begins with a jarring dissonance and sets the scene.
I see a murky forest with thick air and shiny water droplets resting on the leaves.
Section B announces a warning of the dangerous Jabberwocky.
Section C is a 7/4 waltz (like Crocodile!) that moves the story along.
Section D establishes suspense before the attack and announces the Jabberwocky's arrival.
Section E depicts the murder.
The Jabberwocky's soul ascends to C8, the very highest note on the piano.
Section F congratulates the boy, but with harmonic tension.
Section F congratulates the boy, but with harmonic tension.
Section A returns to the murk of the forest with a senseless killing behind us.
A LITTLE THEORY
I tried my very best to ignore anything I know about music theory when composing this. As a result, it wasn’t written very triadically, and the harmonic patterns kind of wander. If I had to summarize, "Jabberwocky" is mostly in D minor with a notable emphasis on the Neapolitan (E♭ major in the key of D minor).
A LITTLE THEORY
I tried my very best to ignore anything I know about music theory when composing this. As a result, it wasn’t written very triadically, and the harmonic patterns kind of wander. If I had to summarize, "Jabberwocky" is mostly in D minor with a notable emphasis on the Neapolitan (E♭ major in the key of D minor).
This is probably boring, but here are some specifics for our theory time:
The A section establishes the key with a lowered seventh, like a mixolydian cadence.
The B section ends with a perfect authentic cadence (V and i are in root position with the tonic in the top voice) in C minor (the relative minor of the Neapolitan), and the C section cadences unconventionally (with something like a V/V to i) in A♭ minor (a tritone away from our key).
Section D starts leading us back to D minor, and we stay there for the remainder of the piece.
Section F makes a point of plotting a whole tone vocal melody in imitation with the right hand of the accompaniment against a firm D pedal in the left hand, clashing the A#'s against our foundation. The A#'s belong to the narrator, and our tonality is simply a truth of the forest.
PERFORMANCE NOTES
Range: A♭ 3 - D 5
In the words of the March hare to the Dormouse, “Tell us a story!” Be dramatic, be scary, be sorrowful, be old, be strong, be weary, be wise. Whatever you do, sell it.
Also, I’d give this a few reads to brush up on pronunciation and definitions.
Next week: come back if you dare for the dreaded walrus!
(27 Feb 2022)----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SONG VI
STORY
Alice floats down the stairs (I’m not kidding) and gets lost outside until she stumbles upon several talking flowers. She meets the Red Queen, who introduces her to their chess board setting. The Red Queen runs around at dizzying speeds and gives Alice a brief overview of her future journey to the eighth square before disappearing. Alice takes a jumping railway from D2 through D3 to D4, where she chats with a Gnat the size of a chicken under a tree. A Fawn leads her through the wood to an open field, where she meets Tweedledum and Tweedledee. And of course, they recite “The Walrus and The Carpenter.” It’s irritatingly long. And I do mean irritatingly.
‘You like poetry?’
‘Ye-es, pretty well—some poetry,’ Alice said doubtfully.
‘You like poetry?’
‘Ye-es, pretty well—some poetry,’ Alice said doubtfully.
‘Would you tell me which road leads out of the wood?’
‘What shall I repeat to her?’ said Tweedledee,
looking round at Tweedledum with great solemn eyes, and not noticing Alice’s question.
‘“The Walrus and the Carpenter” is the longest,’ Tweedledum replied,
looking round at Tweedledum with great solemn eyes, and not noticing Alice’s question.
‘“The Walrus and the Carpenter” is the longest,’ Tweedledum replied,
giving his brother an affectionate hug.
Tweedledee began instantly:
Tweedledee began instantly:
‘The sun was shining—’
Here Alice ventured to interrupt him. ‘If it’s very long,’ she said, as politely as she could, ‘would you please tell me first which road—’
Tweedledee smiled gently, and began again:
Tweedledee smiled gently, and began again:
‘The sun was shining on the sea,'
COMPOSITION NOTES & A LITTLE THEORY
I think the composition notes and theory belong together this time, and I promise to keep it as short as I can. The first thing to know is that the 18 verses are split into 6 sections of 3 verses each. Each section gets one melody, and the last section repeats the melody from the first section.
In general, the sound is meant to reflect a nighttime ebbing of waves (6/8 time) as well as the glimmering of light on water, sand, and sea glass (cluster harmonies).
I’ll write just three notes on each section, and they'll go like this:
1. Plot Summary
2. A Little Theory
3. Favorite Word Painting
Section A1
1. The first three verses simply set the stage:
The sun was shining in the middle of the night, the moon was annoyed with the sun,
the sea was wet, the sand was dry, and there were no clouds or birds.
2. We establish A♭ minor (7 flats!) very clearly, and immediately ruin it with chromaticism.
3. In the "middle of the night" (m. 9), the melody lands in the middle of an A♭ major chord.
Please read in your most excited dorky voice:
I’ll write just three notes on each section, and they'll go like this:
1. Plot Summary
2. A Little Theory
3. Favorite Word Painting
Section A1
1. The first three verses simply set the stage:
The sun was shining in the middle of the night, the moon was annoyed with the sun,
the sea was wet, the sand was dry, and there were no clouds or birds.
2. We establish A♭ minor (7 flats!) very clearly, and immediately ruin it with chromaticism.
3. In the "middle of the night" (m. 9), the melody lands in the middle of an A♭ major chord.
Please read in your most excited dorky voice:
That’s a pretty disconcerting bitonal picardy third!
Section B
1. The Walrus and the Carpenter were walking.
They thought there was too much sand and invited Oysters to walk with them.
2. Due to the wandering thoughts and general wandering about of our characters,
our melody is also wandering with an avoidance of authentic cadences.
There are lots of quartal and quintal harmonies.
3. In "seven maids" (m. 31), the accompaniment adds 7ths.
Section B
1. The Walrus and the Carpenter were walking.
They thought there was too much sand and invited Oysters to walk with them.
2. Due to the wandering thoughts and general wandering about of our characters,
our melody is also wandering with an avoidance of authentic cadences.
There are lots of quartal and quintal harmonies.
3. In "seven maids" (m. 31), the accompaniment adds 7ths.
In "give a hand to each" (m. 44), the right hand has five-finger chords.
Section C
1. The eldest Oyster didn’t want to go, but many young Oysters got ready and went ashore.
2. We’re back to A♭ minor but with Neapolitan harmonies like in “Jabberwocky.”
Because of all these curious little Oysters, we end these verses on half cadences.
Section C
1. The eldest Oyster didn’t want to go, but many young Oysters got ready and went ashore.
2. We’re back to A♭ minor but with Neapolitan harmonies like in “Jabberwocky.”
Because of all these curious little Oysters, we end these verses on half cadences.
The style of the melody becomes more predictable, as it's settled into story-telling mode.
3. In "four young oysters" (m. 52), the accompaniment switches to cascading 4ths.
Section D
1. The Walrus and the Carpenter walked with the Oysters.
The Oysters ask to rest before their talk.
2. The eleventh verse, which happens in the D section, is the most famous of them all.
3. In "four young oysters" (m. 52), the accompaniment switches to cascading 4ths.
Section D
1. The Walrus and the Carpenter walked with the Oysters.
The Oysters ask to rest before their talk.
2. The eleventh verse, which happens in the D section, is the most famous of them all.
“The time has come,” the Walrus said, “to talk of many things:
Of shoes and ships and sealing-wax, Of cabbages and kings,
And why the sea is boiling hot, And whether pigs have wings.”
Of shoes and ships and sealing-wax, Of cabbages and kings,
And why the sea is boiling hot, And whether pigs have wings.”
To illustrate this feeling of familiarity, I have actually quoted the Disney version.
Scroll down to the next section to explore these quotes in detail.*
This section is the calm before the storm, and a lot of things shift around:
The harmonies are sunny clusters in A♭major.
The vocal line is set in a lower range, and being a quote, it's easy on the ears.
The accompaniment is set fairly high with faster rhythms (16ths) for the first time.
3. In "cabbages and kings" (m. 77), the right hand has a little brassy king announcement.
Section E
1. The Walrus calls for a loaf of bread, pepper, and vinegar.
The Oysters begin to worry as the Carpenter prepares to eat.Section E
1. The Walrus calls for a loaf of bread, pepper, and vinegar.
2. This is the storm. This is the betrayal, and it's purposely written to be uncomfortable.
The vocal line is very expressive with difficult intervals.
The right hand and left hand of the accompaniment are in their own worlds,
creating a clashy bitonal setting starting with unlucky verse 13.
The right hand outlines seven chords in descending fifths.
Rhythmically, they're written in somewhat Baroque-like figurations and sequences.
The harmonies (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭, F, B♭) stay in flats to match the set.
The left hand, however, is repetitive and minimalist, like a broken mind.
The vocal line follows the harmonies of the RIGHT hand, NOT THE LEFT (good to know).
3. In "Turning a little blue" (m. 98), the hands briefly coordinate to run a blues scale.
That's a pretty nerdy little joke to myself.
Everyone should hate everything so much by then that it will go completely unnoticed.
Section A2
The whole piece ends with quoting "Hush-a-by Lady," which happens much later in the story when the Red Queen puts both queens to sleep in Alice's lap. In fact, the queens don't fall asleep on Alice's lap until moments before our final song. This nursery rhyme quote is the second half's version of the first half's Twinkle.
DISNEY QUOTE & OTHER REFERENCES
Theme quoted in measure 66: “The Walrus and the Carpenter walked on a mile or so”
Disney theme starting at 1:37: “And why the sea is boiling hot”
Theme quoted in measure 70: “And all the little Oysters stood”
Here’s another related version released the same year. It’s not important, but I included it just for fun.
PERFORMANCE NOTES
Range:
G♭3 - E♭5 (There’s also an option to go down to E♭3 in Section D)
I followed a metronome to get through this, but in reality, I’ll be following you. There are lots of fermatas in the score that I ignored to make this for-educational-purposes-only practice video. Take a lot of time, or don't, please. Go wild, I don’t care. There’s magic to make, not time to keep!
“I dare say you never even spoke to Time!”
“Perhaps not,” Alice cautiously replied: “but I know I have to beat time when I learn music.”
“Ah! that accounts for it,” said the Hatter. “He won’t stand beating.
Section A2
1. The Walrus expresses shame on tricking the Oysters.
The Carpenter asks the Oysters if they’re ready to go home,
but there are no Oysters to answer.
2. As we return to the ebbing tides of the night, the melody is still not overly familiar,
because the new word painting changes several things.
I trust these will be obvious to you.
3. In "Shall we be trotting home again" (m. 129), trotting is marked with staccatos.
This is cool because in "sands were dry as dry" from the first Section A (m. 18),
dry was also marked with staccatos.
In each of these instances, we were in the final verse of that A section.
DISNEY QUOTE & OTHER REFERENCES
*I believe the most famous version today is Disney's.
My quotes (in a much, much, much slower tempo) as mentioned above are as follows:
Disney theme starting at 0:46: “The sun was shining on the sea, shining with all his might”Theme quoted in measure 66: “The Walrus and the Carpenter walked on a mile or so”
Disney theme starting at 1:37: “And why the sea is boiling hot”
Theme quoted in measure 70: “And all the little Oysters stood”
If you’d like to get acquainted with the poem by playing it in the background while you’re cooking or renovating your house, here’s a reading.
Here’s a version that includes 14 edited verses, omitting 7-10 only. I don’t like it too much, but this one covers so much of the poem that I found it noteworthy.
Here’s a version that includes 14 edited verses, omitting 7-10 only. I don’t like it too much, but this one covers so much of the poem that I found it noteworthy.
PERFORMANCE NOTES
Range:
G♭3 - E♭5 (There’s also an option to go down to E♭3 in Section D)
I followed a metronome to get through this, but in reality, I’ll be following you. There are lots of fermatas in the score that I ignored to make this for-educational-purposes-only practice video. Take a lot of time, or don't, please. Go wild, I don’t care. There’s magic to make, not time to keep!
“I dare say you never even spoke to Time!”
“Perhaps not,” Alice cautiously replied: “but I know I have to beat time when I learn music.”
“Ah! that accounts for it,” said the Hatter. “He won’t stand beating.
Now, if you only kept on good terms with him,
(06 Mar 2022)----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SONG VII
I think I wrote this. The theme of the verse feels so obvious that it could be a folk song, but my best guess is that I’m the composer.
STORY
And now, I have quite a lot of summarizing to do. The Tweedles show Alice the Red King, who is fast asleep and snoring. They tell her that she only exists in his mind, which she finds rather upsetting.
The brothers prepare for battle against one another and are interrupted by a giant crow, which follows the plot of the nursery rhyme. Alice catches a shawl and returns it to the White Queen, who experiences time backwards. The White Queen turns into a sheep, and Alice’s surroundings morph into a shop, and then a rowboat in the water, and then back to a shop (Alice to D5). She meets Humpty Dumpty on D6, who helps explain the words in “Jabberwocky.” I love the ending of their scene especially:
‘Good-bye, till we meet again!’ she [Alice] said as cheerfully as she could.
‘I shouldn’t know you again if we did meet,’ Humpty Dumpty replied in a discontented tone,
giving her one of his fingers to shake; ‘you’re so exactly like other people.’
‘The face is what one goes by, generally,’ Alice remarked in a thoughtful tone.
‘That’s just what I complain of,’ said Humpty Dumpty.
‘The face is what one goes by, generally,’ Alice remarked in a thoughtful tone.
‘That’s just what I complain of,’ said Humpty Dumpty.
‘Your face is the same as everybody has—the two eyes, so—’
(marking their places in the air with this thumb) ‘nose in the middle, mouth under.
It’s always the same. Now if you had the two eyes on the same side of the nose,
for instance—or the mouth at the top—that would be some help.’
‘It wouldn’t look nice,’ Alice objected.
But Humpty Dumpty only shut his eyes and said ‘Wait till you’ve tried.’
Alice goes to the wood to find soldiers and horses running by. She then meets the White King, and upon his suggestion they run to catch the battle of the Lion and the Unicorn, who join them for bread and cakes afterwards. Very loud drumming sends Alice fleeing to D7, only to meet the Red Knight, who declares her a prisoner. (This is exceptionally stupid because at no point in the chess problem does the red knight actually threaten the white pawn.) The White Knight comes to her rescue, recites “A-sitting On a Gate,” and accompanies Alice to D8. Alice recognizes the tune of “A-sitting On a Gate,” and I've put the words and music together for our post-performance singalong. Scroll down to the next section to read more about that.
Alice goes to the wood to find soldiers and horses running by. She then meets the White King, and upon his suggestion they run to catch the battle of the Lion and the Unicorn, who join them for bread and cakes afterwards. Very loud drumming sends Alice fleeing to D7, only to meet the Red Knight, who declares her a prisoner. (This is exceptionally stupid because at no point in the chess problem does the red knight actually threaten the white pawn.) The White Knight comes to her rescue, recites “A-sitting On a Gate,” and accompanies Alice to D8. Alice recognizes the tune of “A-sitting On a Gate,” and I've put the words and music together for our post-performance singalong. Scroll down to the next section to read more about that.
At D8, Alice has become a queen! The Red and White Queens come to either side of her, invite one another to Alice’s party, fall asleep in her lap, and disappear. Alice finds herself under an arched doorway marked “QUEEN ALICE,” and enters the hall, where “To The Looking-Glass World” is being sung. It’s a parody of “Bonnie Dundee” by Sir Walter Scott.
That takes us up through this song, and we’re nearly at the end of our story. The Red Queen presents a riddle at the banquet, and afterwards, in an extended moment of drama, Alice takes the table cloth with both hands and pulls very hard, causing dishes, guests, and candles to crash onto the floor. It is in this moment that Alice captures the Red Queen at E8 and checkmates the Red King. The Red Queen turns into a kitten, who wakes Alice up on the other side of the Looking Glass.
The End.
COMPOSITION NOTES
This one is my favorite.
It’s a verse and chorus song with two of each. The verse has a lot of counterpoint going on (head over heart), and the chorus puts an end to that and settles comfortably into Bb major (heart over head). The shift from verse to chorus should feel like the clouds are parting. Imagine that you’ve been waiting for this moment - the one where you shower your audience with generosity and warmth - this entire time. The tempo slows slightly, and the score is marked, “Andantino, open hearted.”
The sostenuto pedal (the middle pedal that sustains only certain notes but doesn't raise all of the dampers) is very rarely marked in scores. Outgrabe uses it twice. The more notable of the two happens at the very end of this last piece, and the notes held in the pedal are B♭0 and B♭1. B♭0 is the second lowest note on the keyboard, and C8 from Jabberwocky is the highest. Thus, the range in Outgrabe's accompaniment is 87 out of 88 keys. The final chords, if played correctly, should ring out no fewer than four B♭s, of which the lowest re-resonates from the magic of physics alone.
That takes us up through this song, and we’re nearly at the end of our story. The Red Queen presents a riddle at the banquet, and afterwards, in an extended moment of drama, Alice takes the table cloth with both hands and pulls very hard, causing dishes, guests, and candles to crash onto the floor. It is in this moment that Alice captures the Red Queen at E8 and checkmates the Red King. The Red Queen turns into a kitten, who wakes Alice up on the other side of the Looking Glass.
The End.
COMPOSITION NOTES
This one is my favorite.
It’s a verse and chorus song with two of each. The verse has a lot of counterpoint going on (head over heart), and the chorus puts an end to that and settles comfortably into Bb major (heart over head). The shift from verse to chorus should feel like the clouds are parting. Imagine that you’ve been waiting for this moment - the one where you shower your audience with generosity and warmth - this entire time. The tempo slows slightly, and the score is marked, “Andantino, open hearted.”
The sostenuto pedal (the middle pedal that sustains only certain notes but doesn't raise all of the dampers) is very rarely marked in scores. Outgrabe uses it twice. The more notable of the two happens at the very end of this last piece, and the notes held in the pedal are B♭0 and B♭1. B♭0 is the second lowest note on the keyboard, and C8 from Jabberwocky is the highest. Thus, the range in Outgrabe's accompaniment is 87 out of 88 keys. The final chords, if played correctly, should ring out no fewer than four B♭s, of which the lowest re-resonates from the magic of physics alone.
The postlude, mirroring the ending of Turtle, concludes with quotes from Walrus and Jabberwocky in that order. The last word we hear, but only in our minds from my right hand and not your part, is "outgrabe."
A LITTLE THEORY
I think the ultimate looking glass trick is the compositional technique of retrograde, or writing backwards. Jabberwocky is printed like this:
A LITTLE THEORY
I think the ultimate looking glass trick is the compositional technique of retrograde, or writing backwards. Jabberwocky is printed like this:
YKCOWREBBAJ
sevot yhtils eht dna ,gillirb sawT’
ebaw eht ni elbmig dna eryg diD
,sevogorob eht erew ysmim llA
'.ebargtuo shtar emom eht dnA
Composing in retrograde is pretty close to that, and we even have the advantage of symmetrical note heads. The verse is a B♭ mixolydian ditty accompanied with an imitative texture.
The introduction features the theme in the left hand in E♭ major, while the right hand plays the same theme in B♭ mixolydian, but in eighth notes, and in retrograde. The vocals enter to create a 3-voice counterpoint where everything is in B♭ mixolydian. The vocal line moves forwards in triplets, the right hand backwards in eighths, and the left hand imitates the vocal line, but half a measure behind. Because the White Queen experiences time backwards, we can think of your line as Queen Alice, my right hand as the White Queen, and my left hand as the Red Queen.
The breaths between your phrases have the ending motive repeated in my part in four different octaves. So after you sing "Alice that said," which is the end of your first phrase, my part goes, "Alice that Alice that Alice that Alice that said," and my "said" aligns with your "sceptre" from your second phrase at the beginning of measure 10. It's a shower of cascading echoes.
The chorus, on the other hand, has a has soaring melody and pianistic texture in B♭ major. The audience should say, "Thank goodness - that's what they're supposed to do." My favorite parts of your line, "thirty times three" and "ninety times nine" are inspired by Alice's astonishment in the book:
At this moment the door was flung open, and a shrill voice was heard singing:
‘To the Looking-Glass world it was Alice that said,
“I’ve a sceptre in hand, I’ve a crown on my head;
Let the Looking-Glass creatures, whatever they be,
Come and dine with the Red Queen, the White Queen, and me.”’
And hundreds of voices joined in the chorus:
‘Then fill up the glasses as quick as you can,
And sprinkle the table with buttons and bran:
Put cats in the coffee, and mice in the tea—
And welcome Queen Alice with thirty-times-three!’
Then followed a confused noise of cheering, and Alice thought to herself,
‘To the Looking-Glass world it was Alice that said,
“I’ve a sceptre in hand, I’ve a crown on my head;
Let the Looking-Glass creatures, whatever they be,
Come and dine with the Red Queen, the White Queen, and me.”’
And hundreds of voices joined in the chorus:
‘Then fill up the glasses as quick as you can,
And sprinkle the table with buttons and bran:
Put cats in the coffee, and mice in the tea—
And welcome Queen Alice with thirty-times-three!’
Then followed a confused noise of cheering, and Alice thought to herself,
'Thirty times three makes ninety. I wonder if any one’s counting?’
In a minute there was silence again, and the same shrill voice sang another verse;
‘“O Looking-Glass creatures,” quoth Alice, “draw near!
‘Tis an honour to see me, a favour to hear:
‘Tis a privilege high to have dinner and tea
Along with the Red Queen, the White Queen, and me!”’
Then came the chorus again:—
‘Then fill up the glasses with treacle and ink,
Or anything else that is pleasant to drink:
Mix sand with the cider, and wool with the wine—
And welcome Queen Alice with ninety-times-nine!’
‘Ninety times nine!’ Alice repeated in despair,
‘“O Looking-Glass creatures,” quoth Alice, “draw near!
‘Tis an honour to see me, a favour to hear:
‘Tis a privilege high to have dinner and tea
Along with the Red Queen, the White Queen, and me!”’
Then came the chorus again:—
‘Then fill up the glasses with treacle and ink,
Or anything else that is pleasant to drink:
Mix sand with the cider, and wool with the wine—
And welcome Queen Alice with ninety-times-nine!’
‘Ninety times nine!’ Alice repeated in despair,
Oh, that’ll never be done! I’d better go in at once—’
and there was a dead silence the moment she appeared.
"And welcome Queen Alice with thirty times three" (m. 30-35) and "And welcome Queen Alice with ninety times nine" (m. 58-69) have fairly literal representations of these numbers. My right hand has switched to decuplets each measure by this point (notated as two quintuplets), so I provide the 10s, and your part provides three thirds the first time around, and nine ninths the second.
PERFORMANCE NOTES
Range:
G3 - E♭5
The first thing you should know is that there are two scores. I read from the one that minimizes page turns, but it might be easier for you to read from the one that takes a first ending so you can see the similarities between the verses and choruses.
In the beginning, I told you that Crocodile required a lot of breath, but in all honesty, this one is probably worse. Instead of holding long phrases with reasonably placed notes, you have to find high notes mid or late-phrase. Nightmare. If you can breathe less than I do, please do! Be a show-off.
SCORE To The Looking-Glass World (1st ending) / To The Looking-Glass World (through)
In the beginning, I told you that Crocodile required a lot of breath, but in all honesty, this one is probably worse. Instead of holding long phrases with reasonably placed notes, you have to find high notes mid or late-phrase. Nightmare. If you can breathe less than I do, please do! Be a show-off.
SCORE To The Looking-Glass World (1st ending) / To The Looking-Glass World (through)
💚 Congratulations!! You made it to the eighth rank!! You're a Queen! 💚
(13 Mar 2022)----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MISC REMARKS
1. The Paper Plate Awards
I thought I'd give each song a paper plate award so that when the time comes to listen, you'll know where to start. Do you remember paper plate awards? Like when you went to camp and your counselor gave them out at the end of the session? Here we go.
Crocodile - most likely to run a dance conservatory.
Delicate features, destined to age gracefully.
Slightly mysterious, keeps private life very private.
Finds eclectic pieces for her wardrobe.
Loves crystals and antiquing.
Spiritual but not religious.
William - most likely to get tenure.
The predictably underpaid nerd.
Kind of boring; an acquired taste.
Has trouble making friends, but once the ladies get a little older, they love him.
Look who he brought to the reunion.
Well, I guess he does look kind of cute in that bowtie.
Maybe I shouldn't be so surprised.
Oh? He's going to be published?
Lobster - most likely to make poor life decisions.
The hot shot, the extrovert among introverts.
Gets pulled over for rushing on the regular.
Last to leave every party.
Has a "fitness routine."
Turtle - most likely to become famous.
The audience's favorite.
More likable than the weirdos around her.
Confident and sexy, this is a woman who knows what she wants.
She can be a bit of a show off, but with those curves, wouldn't you?
Diamonds are a girl's best friend.
Jabberwocky - most likely to gain a cult following.
The emo, a bit dark.
Considering the emotional turmoil, pretty high functioning.
Loves cats, coffee, thick sweaters, beautiful mugs, and library books.
Walrus - most likely to become a politician.
Long-winded and unattractive.
Changes tone and content strategically.
The poli sci majors get him.
Everyone else is forced to pick a section, make a generalization, and get on with their lives.
Makes pens for a hobby.
Alice - most likely to become an actual queen.
The composer's favorite, valedictorian.
Gifted in many ways, balances home and work life better than peers.
Doesn't care for trinkets, knick knacks, or small talk.
Prosecco, not flowers, please and thank you.
2. I don't know where else to put this, but I have two performance notes in general.
The first is that this was never written to be technically difficult. If it is, by accident, please remember that I'm not trying to prove that I can make a lot of crossovers in a row without brushing an extra key, and I'm not trying to prove that you can sing nine flawless ninths with impeccable intonation back to back. I'm simply trying to convince you that these notes came from a wonderland of sorts, and that the two of us can bring them to life. Normally, we musicians agonize over our technical difficulties, and then half an hour before the performance, our conductor, like a football coach, says, "Go have fun out there."
I want you to remember to go have fun out there every single time you practice. Maybe that means you'll bring new meanings to this - meanings I never intended. Maybe we'll change tempi from these practice recordings dramatically. Maybe our wonderlands will be different, and we'll figure out how to perform on the edges where they meet. I'm still going to practice my crossovers (and my "eating the Owl" for that matter), and I'm not about to tell you exactly what you should be doing with your time, but I cannot stress the importance of imagination enough.
The second note is that we all know that cut-offs in choral works are of extreme importance. They're not just details - they're the difference between an ensemble and a mess. And then there are rules for vowels, and the word "the," and the letter R, and lots of other stuff that I don't know too much about. Nobody is going to hold you to any of those rules here, but particularly when it comes to the timing of where to end your notes. ERR ON LONG. If you're out of breath, just relax because you're done for now, but if you're enjoying a note, keep it going. In my mind, lots of these notes just kind of go on "for a very long time."
3. The performance is set to be on the 6th of October because the Mad Hatter's hat is marked with the price of ten shillings and a sixpence, which appears as "10/6." In fact, October 6th is "National Mad Hatter Day." The time is 6:00 pm because that's the Hatter's tea time.
As it will be tea time on National Mad Hatter Day, I propose we serve refreshments of hot tea, iced tea, Deep Eddy black tea vodka with lemon, mini sandwiches, mini raspberry tarts with lemon rose creme pat, mini cupcakes with Tenniel toppers, mini macarons, and EAT ME sugar cookies. I found a paper tea set, and I'm almost certainly going to wear a Mad Hatter's hat - probably a very large one.Maybe this can be a costume party for the guests too!
Some ideas:
You - Cheshire
Liên - Queen of Hearts
George - March Hare
Drakeson - Dormie
Milli - Alice
4. My video-editing sister Liên is in charge of creating a video summary of both books to put our songs in context. She's using twenty Alice movies and staying very true to the original text. "Overachiever" is an understatement. I asked her to find me eight clips, not twenty movies, so this is worlds more sophisticated than my original vision.
- 1903, UK: Alice in WonderlandDirected by Cecil Hepworth and Percy Stow.First silent film.
- 1931, USA: Alice in WonderlandDirected by Bud Pollard.First talkie.
- 1933, USA: Alice in WonderlandDirected by Norman Z McLeod (live-action)Animation sequence by Harman-Ising Studio.Only major live-action Hollywood production to adapt the original Alice stories.
- 1949, France: Alice au Pays Des MerveillesDirected by Dallas Bower.French film with stop-motion animated puppets.
- 1951, USA: Alice in WonderlandWalt Disney Animation Studios.The animation everyone knows.
- 1966, UK: Alice in WonderlandDirected by Jonathan Miller.A psychedelic adaptation made for adults.
- 1972, UK: Alice's Adventures in WonderlandDirected by William Sterling.A British musical.
- 1976, USA: Alice in WonderlandDirected by Bud Townsend.An erotic musical comedy film.
- 1981, USSR: Алиса в стране чудесAlisa v Strane Chudes.A trippy Soviet animation.
- 1982, USA: Alice at the PalaceDirected by Emile Ardolino.A rather bizarre musical play starring Meryl Streep.
- 1983, USA: Alice in WonderlandDirected by Kirk Browning.A Broadway stage musical with black-and-white papier-mache costumes.
- 1985, UK: DreamchildDirected by Gavin Millar.A drama told from an adult Alice's point of view.
- 1985, USA: Alice in WonderlandDirected by Harry Harris.A two part made-for-TV musical with lots of cameos.
- 1986, UK: Alice in WonderlandDirected by Barry Letts.A 4-part BBC musical.
- 1988, Australia: Alice in WonderlandBurbank Films Australia.A direct to video animation.
- 1988, Czechoslovakia: Něco z AlenkyDirected by Jan Švankmajer.A disturbingly dark stop-motion adaptation with taxidermy.
- 1999, UK & USA: Alice in WonderlandDirected by Nick Willing.Another made-for-TV musical with lots of cameos.
- 2010, USA: Alice in WonderlandDirected by Tim Burton.A sequel, set 12 years after the original Alice stories.
- 2017, UK: Alice's Adventures in WonderlandThe Royal Ballet.Originally choreographed by Christopher Peter Wheeldon in 2011.
- 2020, USA: Come AwayDirected by Brenda Chapman.A fantasy drama loosely based on Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan.
5. Once the performance is over, I'd like to invite everyone to participate in a final singalong, "A-sitting On a Gate" by the White Knight. The words poke fun at William Wordsworth's "Resolution and Independence." However, the tune recognized by Alice was composed by Thomas Moore for his poem, "My Heart and Lute," which begins, "I give thee all, I can no more." American Sheet Music lists "My Heart and Lute" as one of the greatest American hits of 1830, which was 35 years before the White Knight published his version. I have taken the White Knight's text and put it to Thomas Moore's music, which is what people in 1865 would have done in their minds, to create the Singalong Score for us. I haven't bothered making a recording because it's totally sight-readable.
Also, it might be nice for a narrator to read this introductory excerpt right before we sing. I find it hilarious.
6. A complete chronological index of the poems in both books is as follows:
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Opening: All in the Golden Afternoon (All in the golden afternoon)
Chapter II: How Doth the Little Crocodile (How doth the little crocodile)
Chapter III: The Mouse’s Tale (Fury said to a)
Chapter V: You are Old, Father William (You are old, Father William)
Chapter VI: The Duchess’ Lullaby (Speak roughly to your little boy)
Chapter VII: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Bat (Twinkle, twinkle, little bat!)
Chapter X: The Lobster Quadrille (Will you walk a little faster?)
Chapter X: ’Tis the Voice of the Lobster ('Tis the voice of the Lobster)
Chapter X: Turtle Soup (Beautiful Soup, so rich and green)
Chapter XI: The Queen of Hearts (The Queen of Hearts, she made some tarts)
Chapter XII: The White Rabbit’s Evidence (They told me you had been to her)
Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There
Opening: Child of the Pure Unclouded Brow (Child of the pure unclouded brow)
Chapter I: Jabberwocky ('Twas Brillig, and the slithy toves)
Opening: All in the Golden Afternoon (All in the golden afternoon)
Chapter II: How Doth the Little Crocodile (How doth the little crocodile)
Chapter III: The Mouse’s Tale (Fury said to a)
Chapter V: You are Old, Father William (You are old, Father William)
Chapter VI: The Duchess’ Lullaby (Speak roughly to your little boy)
Chapter VII: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Bat (Twinkle, twinkle, little bat!)
Chapter X: The Lobster Quadrille (Will you walk a little faster?)
Chapter X: ’Tis the Voice of the Lobster ('Tis the voice of the Lobster)
Chapter X: Turtle Soup (Beautiful Soup, so rich and green)
Chapter XI: The Queen of Hearts (The Queen of Hearts, she made some tarts)
Chapter XII: The White Rabbit’s Evidence (They told me you had been to her)
Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There
Opening: Child of the Pure Unclouded Brow (Child of the pure unclouded brow)
Chapter I: Jabberwocky ('Twas Brillig, and the slithy toves)
Chapter IV: Tweedledum and Tweedledee (Tweedledum and Tweedledee agreed)
Chapter IV: The Walrus and the Carpenter (The sun was shining on the sea)
Chapter IV: The Walrus and the Carpenter (The sun was shining on the sea)
Chapter VI: Humpty Dumpty (Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall)
Chapter VI: Humpty Dumpty’s Poem (In winter, when the fields are white)
Chapter VI: Humpty Dumpty’s Poem (In winter, when the fields are white)
Chapter VII: The Lion and The Unicorn (The Lion and the Unicorn were fighting)
Chapter VIII: A-sitting On a Gate (I'll tell thee everything I can)
Chapter VIII: A-sitting On a Gate (I'll tell thee everything I can)
The song's name is called "Haddock's Eyes,"
the song's name is "The Aged Aged Man,"
the song is called "Ways and Means,"
and the song is "A-sitting on a Gate."
Chapter IX: The Red Queen’s Lullaby (Hush-a-by lady)
Chapter IX: To the Looking-Glass World (To the Looking-Glass world it was Alice that said)
Chapter IX: The White Queen’s Riddle (First, the fish must be caught)
After Chapter XII: A Boat Beneath a Sunny Sky (A boat beneath a sunny sky)
Chapter IX: To the Looking-Glass World (To the Looking-Glass world it was Alice that said)
Chapter IX: The White Queen’s Riddle (First, the fish must be caught)
After Chapter XII: A Boat Beneath a Sunny Sky (A boat beneath a sunny sky)
7. Contrary to popular assumptions, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, better known as Lewis Carroll, did not take drugs recreationally. Nor was he a pedophile.
8. Here's the chess problem from the story of the Looking Glass.
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