TTA Continued

AWAY ZONE
A Performance Score
by Dave Baptiste Chirot

Notes for readers/performers:

The title comes from a street sign seen long ago in a rough district of Boston, in which "Tow" had been obliterated, leaving "Away Zone". Icharrus's falling body, the cars whizzing by, Simon in the tree, the bodies in grass, the films flickering on sunglasses, Macchu Piccu long hidden, the hearts being torn out, the wind--all reminded me of a sense of movement in and towards an "Away Zone"--hence the sign seen long ago came to mind.

The piece is to be performed by two or more voices, with the spacing of lines, letters, and the letters' sizes--giving some rough suggestions for pitch, volume and duration.

The words on the left hand side of the text are to be performed by a person or group of persons A, those on the right hand side of the text by a person or persons B, while those in the center of the pages are to be performed either by A and B together, as a chorus, or a separate person or persons, C or as a Chorus.

When I hear the piece in my own mind's ear--there are differing velocities, with a more speedy delivery suggestive of the wind, Icharrus falling, the films flickering and the cars whizzing--and as well a rhythmic, chanting effect, suggestive of the ritual of tearing out the hearts, the lying on the floor, the bodies in the sun, the "becoming aware of it" -- an event that. happens both very swiftly and then becomes more drawn out--playing on the sudden "Zen" Satori and what is called "a dawning recognition" which may be more gradual, but in its cumulative effect--as well leads to a kind of quickening of the tempo--

but these are only rough hints--

One suggested method, which I've tried with my children, is to go outside on a windy day to a place that is elevated and chant and shout and sing this into the wind. We all wore sunglasses for the occasion--and indeed, it being on a hill above the Lake Michigan shores--there were cars whizzing by, and bodies in the grass (and sand).