Welcome, Elijah
for any number of voices, instruments, or dancers
by Joseph Zitt

Composed for the Choir of the Church of St. Stephen and the Incarnation, Washington, DC, on the occasion of the EarthSounding Performance, 24 April 1999

THE ENVIRONMENT

The piece integrates
    the sounds of the performance environment
       with the sounds of the performers.

If the performance space environment
   contains too few sounds,
   you may place at least two microphones
       in a more sonically active space 
          (such as outdoors)
   and direct their output 
       to amplifiers and speakers
       arranged in the performance space
       so that their relationship 
          to the performers and audience
	  is the same at that of the microphones
             to the virtual listener 
                 in the monitored space.

If this is not possible,
   you may use an unedited accurate recording 
   of an active space
   from the point of view 
      of a stationary listener.
Ideally, each performance of the piece will use
   a previously unheard segment of the recording
   so that the performers are not familiar with 
      the order and distribution of the events 
         to which they will respond.
                      

THE PERFORMANCE

Preparing

Decide on a cueing sound or class of sounds 
   to which you will respond
   from those that occur 
      in the performance environment.
Determine what sound or action 
      you will use as a response,
   and, optionally, 
      how selected parameters of the sound
         will determine aspects of your response.
Your response must be 
   loud or active enough 
      to be perceived by the audience,
   yet quiet enough that you can clearly hear 
      the end of the cueing sound.
The duration of the response should closely match
   the duration of the cueing sound.
   For example, a response to a dog bark 
      would be short,
   and a reaction to a passing siren would last
      as long as the siren takes to pass.
If you have not had a chance 
   to listen to this environment 
      before the performance,
   you may quickly make these choices 
      in its opening moments.
                      

Beginning

The performance begins 
   at a predetermined signal
   or by consensus.

If using a remote environment,
   the sound is gradually faded up 
       to mix with the room ambiance.
                      

Continuing

The performance continues,
   with performers reacting to their cueing sounds
      in as close to real-time as possible
   and remaining still 
      when the cueing sounds are not happening.

Performers may join and exit the performance 
   as it goes on.

Optionally, audience members may be allowed 
   to join the performance.
Those who wish to join a performance in progress
   should be provided a copy of this score, and
   should quietly ask any questions 
      to a person who has volunteered to answer them.
                      

Ending

The performance ends
   at a predetermined time
   or a predetermined signal
   or by consensus.

If using a remote environment,
   the sound is gradually faded down to silence.
                      

Copyright 1999, Metatron Press