david lang
protect yourself from infection
for choir with vocal soloists
from a 1918 pamphlet from the United States Department of Health plus various names to be remembered
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© 2020 by Red Poppy (ASCAP)
Administered worldwide by Universal Music Corp. (ASCAP)
International Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserved. RNY 1339 ISMN 979-0-041-61339-0
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protect yourself from infection is made of two parts that are meant to run concurrently –a hymn-like ensemble part and a series of independent solos. The music was originally written to accompany a parade, in which a group of sing ers sang together as an ensemble, with individual solos emerging from the group to sing melodies made from the names of people who died in the 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic, and the names of some of the health care workers who cared for them.
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The hymn is meant to be sung straight through, and may then be repeated, if desired. The solos are divided up among all the singers and are sung independently, uncoordinated with the hymn. The order of events – starting or ending with the hymn, starting or ending with the solos, the amount of time they happen together or separately, the length of the performance, etc., should be dictated by the needs of each performance.
The overall effect is of one fixed element – the hymn - that is confronted and embellished and challenged and decorated by the freedom and independence of the solos. More specific instructions on the solos may be found on the first pages of the music.
If this music is being used in some other setting than a parade it is imagined that staging, lighting or movement may be useful in heightening the sense of independence of the solos.
Although the original purpose of the parade was to honor the names of people who died or who cared for the sick during the Spanish Flu epidemic the solos may be adjusted to honor people associated with more recent outbreaks or illnesses. The hymn text, taken from a 1918 pamphlet from the United States Department of Health, still offers good advice today, so it needs no updating.
The duration is variable.
program note
I was asked to contribute some music to the Mütter Museum's exhibition in honor of the centennial year of an infamous parade that took place in Philadelphia during the great Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918 / 1919. The parade was infamous because it was held in spite of the medical advice that people needed to isolate themselves, and because of this it became a major local vector for the spread of the disease. Completely coincidentally, I am named after a relative of blessed memory who died in that epidemic. Jews often name their children with the initials of relatives who have died - I am David Avery Lang, named after my father's cousin, Daniel Abraham Leibowitz. My Leibowitz ancestors had only fairly recently arrived in America from Lithuania. Young Daniel Abraham turned 18 and enlisted in the army, and was sent to boot camp in Georgia, where he got sick and died. He meant a lot to the family, because he was living proof of the deep and real commitment of the new immigrants to the United States. His enlistment meant that they would belong here, and his death rattled them all so much that they were still mourning him when I was born, 38 years later.
For my piece I wrote two kinds of music that coexist, separately. There is a kind of musical motto, sung by The Crossing and conducted by Donald Nally, which I made out of a health manual that the United States put out at the time of the epidemic, called 'Protect Yourself from Infection.' Over this motto, individual singers of The Crossing take turns singing solo melodies that I made out of both the individual names of Philadelphians who died from the epidemic and the individual names of Philadelphians who worked in healthcare during the epidemic, caring for the sick.
protect yourself from infection
text – f rom a 1918 pamphlet from the United States Department of Health
CopyrightbyRedPoppyMusicadministeredby UniversalMusicPublishing Classical
Protect yourself from infection
Keep well and don’t get hysterical
Avoid being sprayed by the nose and throat secretions of others
Beware of those who are coughing or sneezing
Avoid crowded streetcars
Walk to the office if possible
Keep out of crowds
Avoid theaters, moving picture shows and other places of public assembly
Do not travel by railroad unless absolutely necessary
Do not drink from glasses or cups which have been used by others
Unless you are sure they have been thoroughly cleansed
You can do much to lessen the danger to yourself
By keeping in good physical condition
Avoid close, stuffy and poorly ventilated rooms
Insist upon fresh air but avoid disagreeable drafts
Eat simple, nourishing food and drink plenty of water
Secure at least seven hours of sleep
Avoid physical fatigue
Do not sleep or sit around in damp clothing
Keep the feet dry
If you become ill don’t try to keep on with your work
Fight the disease rationally and do not become unduly alarmed
protect yourself from infection
solos - names to be remembered
intone each line, independently, on one of the given pitches choose one of these tune templates, adjusting it to each name emerge from the ensemble at will
music by David Lang words from a 1918 US government document
protect yourself from infection hymn
intone each line, together, on one of the given pitches sing naturally, calmly, in a spoken rhythm leave plenty of space between lines
music by David Lang words from a 1918 US government document