A PUBLIC EXECUTION
Dear Member of The Congregation,
In preparation for being a member of The Congregation, thus one of the performers, you may want to rehearse your parts in the days before the performance takes place..
This preparation can be done by listening to the following recordings of the Psalms to be sung at these performances, while reading the words to these Psalms. The parts to be sung by you and your fellow members of The Congregation are the response parts written in bold.
Then...
Rehearse singing the words in bold while listening to the recordings. This can be done in the privacy of your own home, or while out there on the mountainside of life.
That said...
Your part in the first two of these Psalms is just to provide the vocal drones behind what The Precentor and other members of The Penkiln Burn Players will be singing.
At the actual performances of VOICES FROM THE GALLOVERSE, Leo Condie (The Choral Master of The Penkiln Burn Players) will be there to encourage and steer The Congregation. Tam Dean Burn, in his role as the artistic director of The Penkiln Burn Players, might instruct The Congregation in the moves they might make. Other members of The Penkiln Burn Players will also be there singing with and supporting The Congregation.
What follows are links to the recordings and words to Psalms that you will be expected to perform (and remember, your parts are in bold).
Yours,
The Seldom Seen Narrator
Òran Bagraidh
Kirkby Workers Dream Fades
Pictures on My Wall
Poppies in The Field
Revolutionary Spirit
All My Colours
The Killing Moon
Post Script:
As for my role as the Seldom Seen Narrator, I will be there to welcome you, hand out Psalm Sheets, and the Warehouse Coats to be worn by all member of both The Penkiln Burn Players and The Congregation. We will have them in small, large and extra-large. The Traveling Salesman will also be there in his attempts to sell copies of the physical long-playing record of Voices From The Galloverse and maybe even copies of CREE BANK as in the novella by William E. Drummond. Tracey Moberly might also be there hidden behind camera doing what she does when others are not looking.
And...
Before you begin your first private rehearsal, please read the following words and then wonder what the fuck all of that is about.
As the waters overtook the matron martyr the younger woman was implored by her friends to give in to her persecutors, yet she continued to pray and recited verses from the 25th Psalm. Her executioners continued to try to break her and she was dragged half-dead from the waters and urged again ‘to pray for the king’…. She had already been overwhelmed in the horrors of death; the black devouring floods were hissing at her feet, as if greedy for their prey; life, and the sweets of life, inviting her one way; death, in one of his most wild and horrific forms, yawning to swallow her up the other way.
Òran Bagraidh
This is to be sung by Tam Dean Burn in the ancient language of Gallovidian. The Penkiln Burn Players will lead you in singing the backing drone to take you on those first steps.
Aobh cumar an eas dom,
Aobh Bealach na Slogh,
Aobh bruthaichean Beinn Beithich,
Aobh an gleann’s an robh tu og.
Trom dom maduinn an aon-la,
Trom dom maduinn a’chro,
Ni ro eirig air an eislig
Caisteal caiseal a’chro.
Kirkby Workers Dream Fades
Leo Condie will lead The Congregation in the performance of this Psalm without words. He will probably want more than just a drone from you.
Pictures on My Wall
And it is with Pictures on My Wall that we will all be heading into the unknown and the safety net will have gaping holes in it. Leo Condie will be the Precentor on this Psalm.
The Precentor:
Can you hear it?
The Congregation:
The sound of
The Precentor:
Something burning
The Congregation:
Something changing
The Precentor:
On the merry-go-round
The Congregation:
Tonight
The Precentor:
The pictures on my...
The Congregation:
Wall
The Precentor:
Are about to swing and...
The Congregation...
Fall
The Precentor:
Love it...
The Congregation:
All
The Precentor:
Love it...
The Precentor & Congregation:
All
All
All
All
The Precentor:
Ooh
The Congregation:
We should have
The Precentor:
We Should have got it...
The Congregation:
Right
The Precentor:
Ooh...
The Congregation:
We should have
The Precentor:
We Should have got it
The Congregation & The Precentor:
Right tonight
The Precentor:
Can you hear it
The Congregation:
The sound of
The Precentor:
Someone thinking
The Congregation:
Hearts beating
The Precentor:
On the merry-go-round
The Congregation & The Precentor:
Tonight
The Precentor:
The pictures on my...
The Congregation & The Precentor:
Wall...
The Precentor:
Are about to swing and...
The Congregation:
Fall...
The Precentor:
Love it...
The Congregation:
All...
The Precentor:
Love it...
The Congregation & The Precentor:
All
All
All
All
The Precentor:
Ooooh...
The Congregation:
We should have...
The Precentor:
We should have got it...
The Congregation:
Right
The Precentor:
Ooooh...
The Precentor:
We should have got it...
The Congregation:
Right tonight
The Precentor:
People come we...
The Congregation:
Count everyone
The Precentor:
Faces burning
The Congregation:
Hearts beating
The Precentor:
Nowhere left for us...
The Congregation...
To run...
The Precentor:
The pictures on my...
The Congregation & The Precentor:
Wall...
The Precentor:
Are about to swing and...
The Congregation & The Precentor:
Fall...
The Precentor...
Love it...
The Congregation:
All...
The Precentor:
Love it...
The Congregation & Precentor:
All
All
All
All
Poppies in The Field
In this the Precentor sings their lines in Gaelic. On this recording Darren MacLean did the translation into Gaelic and sang the part as the Precentor. But at the live performances down in Galloway the part of The Precentor will be sung by Kirsty May Hamilton.
Verse One:
The Precentor:
Tha am paraisiut na mo bhaga
The Congregation:
I'm
throwing it over to you
The Presenter:
Tha am paraisiut na do laimh
The Congregation:
But don't ask me what to do...
The Presenter:
Tha na crom-lusan anns an raon
The Congregation:
But
don't ask me what that means
The Presenter:
Tha na crom-lusan anns an raon
The Congregation:
But don't ask me what that means...
Chorus:
The Precentor & The Congregation:
a'feitheamh mun cuairt
a'feitheamh mun cuairt
Wait around
Verse Two:
The Presenter:
Chì mi atharrachadh annad
The Congregation:
Can
you see a change in me
The Presenter:
Chan urrain dhomh mìneachadh
The Congregation:
I can't explain what I feel...
The Presenter:
Tha Comics a mh asladh, thuirt thu
The Congregation:
But comics are all I read
The Presenter:
Tha Comics a mh asladh, thuirt thu
The Congregation:
But comics are all I read...
Chorus:
The Precentor & The Congregation:
a'feitheamh mun cuairt
a'feitheamh mun cuairt
Wait around
Verse Three:
The Presenter:
Chì mi atharrachadh annad
The Congregation:
Can
you see a change in me
The Presenter:
Chan urrain dhomh mìneachadh
The Congregation:
I can't explain what I feel...
The Presenter:
Tha na crom-lusan anns an raon
The Congregation:
But
don't ask me what that means
The Presenter:
Tha na crom-lusan anns an raon
The Congregation:
But don't ask me what that means...
Chorus:
The Precentor & The Congregation:
a'feitheamh mun cuairt
a'feitheamh mun cuairt
a'feitheamh mun cuairt
a'feitheamh mun cuairt
Revolutionary Spirit
Tam Dean Burn is the Precentor on this recording and will be The Precentor down in Galloway. Paul Simpson of The Wild Swans and much more might be on hand to cast judgement.
Verse One:
The Precentor:
Lost in the delta of Venus...
The Congregation:
Lost in a welter of shame...
The Precentor:
Deep in the forest of evil...
The Congregation:
We embark on the new Crusade...
The Precentor:
Cease your foolish plea...
The Congregation:
We have come to banish the land...
The Precentor:
I stand as San Sebastian...
The Congregation:
With love for a higher command
The Precentor:
And there where hope is dust...
The Congregation:
So strange and absolute...
The Precentor:
Nestling in sweet sorrow...
The Congregation...
Is the saviour of our youth...
Chorus:
The Precentor:
All is quiet...
The Congregation:
Where angels fear...
The Precentor:
Oh my blood relations...
The Congregation:
The revolutionary spirit is here...
The Precentor:
All is quiet...
The Congregation:
Where angels fear...
The Precentor:
Oh my heir-apparent...
The Congregation:
The revolutionary spirit is here
Verse Two:
The Precentor:
Sons defy their fathers...
The Congregation...
Lose their way deep in the
mist...
The Precentor:
Their hearts like alabaster...
The Congregation...
Crack and crumble when they
kiss...
The Precentor:
Cease your foolish plea...
The Congregation...
We have come to banish the
land...
The Precentor:
I stand as San Sebastian...
The Congregation...
With love for a higher command...
Chorus:
The Precentor & The Congregation:
All is quiet...
Where angels fear...
Oh my blood relations...
The revolutionary spirit is here...
All is quiet...
Where angels fear...
Oh my heir-apparent...
The revolutionary spirit is here
Verse Three:
The Precentor:
Courage my sad companion...
The Congregation...
Mute in silence you’ll find no relief...
The Precentor:
Faith is the counter-poison...
The Congregation...
The power compels you to flee from grief...
The Precentor:
Cease your foolish plea...
The Congregation...
We have come to banish the land...
The Precentor:
I stand as San Sebastian...
The Congregation...
With love for a higher command...
The Precentor:
And there where hope is dust...
The Congregation...
So strange and absolute...
The Precentor:
Nestling in sweet sorrow...
The Congregation...
Is the saviour of our youth...
Chorus:
The Precentor & The Congregation:
All is quiet...
Where angels fear...
Oh my blood relations...
The revolutionary spirit is here...
All is quiet...
Where angels fear...
Oh my heir-apparent...
The revolutionary spirit is here
All My Colours
And Leo Condie is and will be The Precentor on this Psalm.
Verse One:
The Precentor:
Flying
The Congregation:
And you know I'm not coming down
The Precentor:
You're trying
The Congregation:
But you know you must soon go down
The Precentor:
All my colours
The Congregation:
Turn to clouds
The Precentor:
All my colours
The Congregation:
Turn to clouds
Bridge:
The Congregation:
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
zimbo
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
zimbo
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
Chorus:
The Precentor & the Congregation:
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
zimbo
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
zimbo
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
Verse Two:
The Precentor:
What d'you say
The Congregation:
When your heart's in pieces
The Precentor:
How to play
The Congregation:
Those cards in sequence
The Precentor:
That box you gave me
The Congregation:
Burned nicely
The Precentor:
That box you gave me
The Congregation:
Burned nicely
Bridge:
The Congregation:
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
zimbo
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
zimbo
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
Chorus:
The Precentor & The Congregation:
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
zimbo
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
zimbo
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
Verse Three:
The Precentor:
Flying down
The Congregation:
Flying down
The Precentor:
All my colours
The Congregation:
Turn to clouds
The Precentor:
All my colours
The Congregation:
Turn to clouds
The Precentor:
Hey I'm flown away
The Congregation:
Hey I'm flown away
Outro:
The Precentor:
That box you gave me
The Congregation:
Burned nicely
The Precentor:
That box you gave me
The Congregation:
Burned nicely
The Precentor:
Hey I've flown away
The Congregation:
Hey I've flown away
Chorus:
The Precentor & the Congregation:
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
zimbo
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
zimbo
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
The Killing Moon
Although...
This Psalm is to be sung by Angie Darcy and Suzanne Bonnar, thus not divided by the call and response of a Precentor and Congregation...
Leo Condie, in his role as the Choral Master of not only The Penkiln Burn Players but the whole of The Galloverse, will expect and encourage those in The Congregation who identify as Female to become Selkies for the duration of the performance of this Psalm, thus find their inner Selkie voices to compliment the voices of Angie Darcey and Suzanne Bonnar. This being done in the hope that the tide and Killing Time can be held at bay.
Verse One:
Under blue moon, I saw you
So soon you'll take me
Up in your arms, too late to beg you
Or cancel it, though I know it must be
The killing time
Unwillingly mine
Chorus:
Fate
Up against your will
Through the thick and thin
He will wait until
You give yourself to him...
Verse Two:
In starlit nights, I saw you
So cruelly, you kissed me
Your lips, a magic world
Your sky, all hung with jewels
The killing moon
Will come too soon...
Chorus:
Fate
Up against your will
Through the thick and thin
He will wait until
You give yourself to him...
Middle Eight Section
Verse Three:
Under blue moon, I saw you
So soon you'll take me
Up in your arms, too late to beg you
Or cancel it, though I know it must be
The killing time
Unwillingly mine
Chorus:
Fate
Up against your will
Through the thick and thin
He will wait until
You give yourself to him...
Chorus:
Fate
Up against your will
Through the thick and thin
He will wait until
You give yourself to him
You give yourself to him
Outro Choruses:
LaLa, la, la, la
La, la, la, la
La, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la
