David Solomons

Composer

David W Solomons

Lyricist

folklore, David Dunning

Publisher

David W Solomons

Genre

Classical / Choral music

Instrumentation

Soprano, Contralto, Tenor, Bass, Mixed choir: Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass

Scored for

Choir

Type of score

Vocal score

Difficulty

Advanced

Year of composition

2018

Description
Choral octet based on the anonymous English poem about a centipede
- the centipede was quite happy walking with its hundred
legs until a frog asked it to think about which leg comes after which...
it had to lie down distracted and consider how to run...
(In other words, if you do something that comes naturally, it might go wrong if you concentrate on it instead of just simply doing it)

Verse 1 (anon.)
A Centipede was happy quite
Until a frog in fun
said "Pray tell which leg comes after which?"
(with a left right right left right)
This raised her mind to such a pitch
she lay distracted in a ditch
Considering how to run.

Verse 2 (by David Dunning)
She stopped and thought and, mystified,
Soloquized on this;
Put right foot first and found it left
Her left leg wrong right side
This raised her mind to such a pitch
she lay distracted in a ditch
Considering how to run.

The sound sample is a live performance in June 2018 by Budapest Scoring Choir.
The frog is represented by the lower voices going "rivet! rivet!"

Upload date

23 May 2018