The Passion of the Wilt-Mold Mothers – (sop, sop sop, mezzo) composed for Quince Contemporary Vocal Ensemble 45’00”
The Passion of the Wilt-Mold Mothers is the story of a mother and her children, animals of indeterminate species. At the opening of the piece a blight of mold comes that wipes out her their only source of food for the winter, the Ilex, or winterberry as it is commonly known. Unable to produce milk, and starving together as they hibernate in their burrow, the mother, our protagonist, eventually makes the decision, conscious or not, to eat her children. She emerges from the ordeal a survivor, and speaking a new language acquired while in the throes of a starving sleep and amidst blood dreams. The Passion of the Wilt-Mold Mothers is a story of apocalypse, suffering, starvation, motherhood, murder, survival, and ultimately of a salvation of sorts. The work, a concert-length musical drama in eight parts, was commissioned by Quince Contemporary Vocal Ensemble, and composed based on text written by Zachary Webber.
Excerpts of the piece are posted below, followed by the piece in its entirety.
View the score
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Excerpts
Excerpt 1, Part II, Which describes an unpleasant dream, and other things: Start (page 20) – Rehearsal D (page 23)
Excerpt 2, Part III, A plea for the impossible: Rehearsal D (page 33) – end (page 36)
Excerpt 3, Part IV, The part about the eating: Rehearsal C (page 49) – Rehearsal G (page 54)
Excerpt 4, Part V, Hymn and soliloquy: Start (page 60) – Rehearsal L (page 62)
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Complete Work
Prelude
Part I, Where the mold comes
Interlude I
Part II, Which describes an unpleasant dream, and other things
Part III, A plea for the impossible
Interlude II
Part IV, The part about the eating
Part V, Hymn and soliloquy