Sam Scheibe
Bilingual
Program Notes
Bilingual sets a poetic story by Rhina Espaillat of a child growing up in a spanish-speaking household within an english-speaking world. Espaillat’s writing tells how the child studies English in secret, out of fear of a jealous father who asserts “English outside this door, Spanish inside”.
Throughout the poem, Espaillat interjects Spanish translations of English words in parentheses. These words are often reflected and repeated by the choir, as a soloist tells the totality of the story in front.
Performance Notes:
- The percussion part of this piece is both optional and highly improvisatory. An annotated version of the piano part is included at the back of this score that gives general instructions to a percussionist regarding groove and important hits. The instrumentation is largely up to the performer’s discretion, however, a percussionist should at least have some sort of kick drum or bass-heavy hand drum and some sort of shaker or cymbal to keep a groove.
Sam Scheibe
Bilingual
Text
My father liked them separate, one there, one here (allá y aquí), as if aware
that words might cut in two his daughter’s heart (el corazón) and lock the alien part
to what he was—his memory, his name (su nombre)—with a key he could not claim.
“English outside this door, Spanish inside,” he said, “y basta.” But who can divide
the world, the word (mundo y palabra) from any child? I knew how to be dumb
and stubborn (testaruda); late, in bed, I hoarded secret syllables I read
until my tongue (mi lengua) learned to run where his stumbled. And still the heart was one.
I like to think he knew that, even when, proud (orgulloso) of his daughter’s pen, he stood outside mis versos, half in fear of words he loved but wanted not to hear.
-Rhina P. Espaillat
words might might cut in two his
Al mp -lá, A-quí here, there Allá, - y A-quí
words mp might Allá, - y A-quí here there p ° simile
**Partsprovidedaregeneralguidesonly.Addinflectionadlibitum, followingthecountourandpercussiveideasofthepianopart.
daugh ter's - heart and p lock thea li - -en part
Allá, - Aqui - Allá, - yAqui - My fa-ther my q=120 father - likedthemsep arate - onehere,onethere asif aware -
This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit
This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase