This edition was prepared by Mick Swithinbank — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
I, a tensioned heap of water
Staff Notation • Secular, Art songs
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I, a tensioned heap of water by Mick Swithinbank — Lyrics
I, a tensioned heap
Of water, calcium, organic compounds,
Weighing x stone and standing, for now, y feet tall,
Blink out from the bone room
At what little of the all,
And seem, as I stare, less than a photon of starshine.
I, like you, am atom matter,
Born of stars dead, remassed and reshattered,
Through aeons flung
To lodge awhile in a sun’s, the Sun’s realm,
As iron for blood, calcium for teeth,
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About I, a tensioned heap of water
Mick Swithinbank’s I, a tensioned heap of water is a thoughtful secular art song for solo baritone. The music explores profound existential questions through its textual setting. The lyrics, opening with a strikingly physical self-description, move to a cosmic perspective, revealing the singer’s identity as stardust and atom matter. This baritone solo contemplates the ephemeral nature of human existence, contrasting the vastness of the universe with the seemingly insignificant scale of an individual life. The composer uses the vocal line to convey this sense of wonder and vulnerability, creating an intimate and reflective musical experience.
