Adrian Wong | Shadow Puppets (2023) | for countertenor and mixed ensemble

Shadow Puppets (2023) is about a childhood memory of mine. When my brother and I were about the age of 3 and 6, we spent a wonderful golden afternoon with our mom playing shadow puppets on the closet door. The usual suspects--a dog, a swan, a rabbit, and a dove--made their appearance, but the titular character of this story was my mom's creation: a frail, old lady with knuckles for gums who squealed in a high-pitched, nasal voice.
Now, whenever my mom misses me and my brother, she would send a picture to our family group chat of that shadow. She would also sometimes answer our family FaceTime calls as that frail, old lady, saying, "Do you remember, do you remember, do you remember me?"
Shadow Puppets is a gift to my mother who, through this childhood memory and many others, taught me and my brother joy.
Sam Higgins, countertenor; Julin Cheung, flute; Emily DeNucci, flute; Zack Thomas, percussion; Radmoir Romashkov-Danilov, electric guitar; Emmalena Huning, violin; Sofia Gilchenok, viola; Ania Lewis, cello; Dimitri Mattas, double bass; Adrian Wong, conductor
Performed 17 November 2023 in Field Concert Hall at the Curtis Institute of Music (www.curtis.edu).
Text:
amber windows
through dusty haze halo
the cross-legged trio
their heroine
throwing shadows
on the closet door
squeals of delight urging her on
applause
laughter
orange rays
baptize her delicate digits
casting soft muted
agile shapes
forgoing details
for simple joy
warmth happiness filtering through golden
hour
I remember
a dog
growling, barking
a swan
gracefully swimming through water
a rabbit
going pitter-patter
a dove
soaring through the sky
a frail old lady with knuckles for gums
trembling and shaking she let out a whimper
her delicate digits
dissolve into tender gaze
watching over
me and my brother
giggling squealing
applause laughter
a dog a swan a rabbit a dove
a frail old lady with knuckles for gums
trembling and shaking she lets out a whimper
I remember
amber windows
through dusty haze haloed
our cross-legged trio
our heroine
threw shadows
on the closet door
orange rays
baptized her delicate digits
cast soft muted
agile shapes
where details have forgone
for simple joy
a dog a swan a rabbit a dove
a frail old lady with knuckles for gums
trembling and shaking she lets out a whimper
"Do you remember me?
Do you remember me?
Do you remember, remember me?"

[@EliasValleComposer]

so good!!

[@adrianwongcc]

Thanks Elias! Hope you’re having a great summer!