Music
Tongues, swords, keys
For 8 solo voices and 4 percussion
Text devised by Randolph Stow
Tongues, swords, keys was commissioned by The Song Company with funding from the Music Board of the Australia Council. They, together with percussion ensemble Synergy, gave the first performance in September 1987 at the Verbrugghen Hall at Sydney Conservatorium.
About the work
The multilingual text explores ideas of coming together and parting — perhaps of tribes, or of nations, or of individuals. At times the work is ritualistic in character.
Scoring
The work is scored for 2 sopranos, 2 altos, 2 tenors, 2 basses and percussion.
Scores
Buy or borrow the hand-written score from SOUNZ.
Buy or borrow a typeset score from the Australian Music Centre.