James Joyce Sang and Played Guitar (2022)
for tenor and guitar
Sang
Played
Sang II
Played II
Sang III
Premiered by Rylan Gleave (voice) and the composer (guitar) in early 2022.
Duration: 8mins.
Text
If Socrates leaves his house today he will find the sage seated on his doorstep. If Judas go forth tonight it is to Judas his steps will tend. Every life is many days, day after day. We walk through ourselves, meeting robbers, ghosts, giants, old men, young men, wives, brothers-in-law. But always meeting ourselves.
from Ulysses by James Joyce
Program Note
James Joyce Sang and Played Guitar sets text from Ulysses in a non-prescriptive stream of consciousness manner, suggesting the idle conjuring of words akin to sitting and playing or humming while you walk. It presents Joyce as a casual character of his own text, much like his presentations of the well known figures of Socrates and Judas in this passage from Ulysses. In this way, like the text states, Joyce meets himself.
———————————————————————————————————————————————
