This is an excerpt of the script for the opening of (Be)Longing. The spoken parts of CHARACTER and GUIDE have been prerecorded by professional actors. The audio clips have been loaded into the set of slides. The clips play on cue from the conductor or from a separate individual who runs the laptop/projections.
CHARACTER embodies the hearts and minds of the audience members—their internal questions, curiosities, and dilemmas around LGBTQ individual stories and the collective history of LGBTQ Americans. GUIDE assists the CHARACTER through this historical exploration.
AT RISE:: Guide and character have jiust met at this concert and begin to converse while the orchestra is tuning and before the “concert” begins.
Frank Kameny was a key figure in the gay civil rights movement for over 40 years.. In this interview with historian Eric Marcus, Mr. Kameny decribes the nature of the Homophhile Movement that followed WW II. This excerpt from, The Early Movement: Community and (In)Visibility show how first-person accounts and music interact to bring the story to the audience. Elsewhere In (Be)Longing we also use video clips This excerpt is from the earlier version of (Be)Longing for string orchestra..
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*“Frank Kameny audio courtesy of Making Gay History. Find the Making Gay History podcast on all major podcast platforms and at makinggayhistory.org.
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03: AIDS Requiem: Love is Love
Below are two excerpts of the score (pdf) for the penultimate movement of (Be)Longing, AIDS Movement, " Love is Love.." This sample is from the earlier version of (Be)Longing for string orchestra. that contains the optional SATB choir. The lyrics are from a BBC interview of James Baldwin, which is one of the video excerpts used in (Be)Longing..
We are committed to ensuring that this piece is practical. So, we have tried out sections with different orchestras to see how it works and how it is received.. These hand-marked excerpts offered here demonstrate that effort and what we learned from it.. The final version will be beautifully edited, of course..
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Beginning to mm. 35​
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Closing: mm. 71 to end. ​