An Alabama Gala

Jonathan Woody (Bass-baritone) and Mila Henry (piano) from American Opera Projects: Composers and the Voice First Glimpse, May 2016

This absurd art song is inspired by Christian Bök's book EUNOIA, in which each chapter uses only one vowel. I wrote the text to use only the vowel A. I created different characters (Amanrah, Janna, Alana, and Hannah plus the narrator) that use different registers of the singer's voice.

Text:

Amanrah, Janna, Alana, and Hannah

Plan an Alabama jazz gala

“Alas,” says Hannah, “Alabama has a jazz ban!

A sad law that slaps all jazz cats

and bans all jazz blats!”

“What gala can Alabama have sans jazz?” asks Janna,

“What’s a gala sans bass and sax?”

“Ahh!” says Amanrah, “A cantata gala!”

and Hannah barks “a rap gala!”

“Aha!” Alana says,

“A ska gala! A ska gala!

A ska gala thwarts that straw man jazz ban!”