Susie Asado

SATB a cappella

Duration 2:30

Text by Gertrude Stein

Notes

William Hale at North High School in Bakersfield, CA commissioned this piece in 1997. As is typical with Gertrude Stein, the text is more rhythmic and sonorous than it is meaningful. I tried to capture that rhythmic aspect when I set it. Susie Asado comes from a set of two poems by Stein about flamenco dancers. The other is “Preciossilla” which I have looked at setting, but have not completed. If you like this one and would like to commission the second, I would love to talk with you.

Text

Sweet sweet sweet sweet sweet tea.
Susie Asado
Sweet sweet sweet sweet sweet tea.
Susie Asado
Susie Asado which is a told tray sure.
A lean on the shoe this means slips slips hers.
When the ancient light grey is clean it is yellow, it is a
silver seller.
This is a please this is a please there are the saids to jelly.
These are the wets these say the sets to leave a crown to
Incy.
Incy is short for incubus.
A pot. A pot is a beginning of a rare bit of trees. Trees
tremble, the old vats are in bobbles, bobbles which shade and
shove and render clean, render clean must.
Drink pups.
Drink pups drink pups lease a sash hold, see it shine and
a bobolink has pins. It shows a nail.
What is a nail. A nail is unison.