2023
For soprano/high voice and piano
coeng⁴ noi⁶ gei² dim² zung¹ (What time is it behind the wall) is an allusion to survivor’s guilt. The song starts with an implication that the protagonist is imprisoned, but later reveals that they have, in fact, escaped imprisonment. The freedom that they once pursued has become a source of anxiety, which they cower in, as they contemplate a fast asleep, blissfully ignorant existence behind those bars.
Instrumentation
Soprano/High voice
Piano
Text
Text by Israel Lai
鐘
幾點鐘
日頭幾點鐘
日光 向雙眼
向面珠 衝
眼一擘 係 牆
四埲石牆
八隻暗角
攻入一線光
牆內幾點鐘
牆內 窗內
牆外 窗外
光
白光
午夜白光
滲透牆罅
滲透腳下磚瓦
四方 八角
當初幾咁奔放
近咗 又近咗
湧緊埋嚟
眼光光
已經唔識彷徨
幾點鐘喇
醒啊
晏嗱
抆喇
瞓呀
等啦
真係好難等
等 等 等
燈?
磚石灰間 白間
乜月圓呀
幾點鐘
終於 瞓
窗外幾點鐘
醒嗱?
bell/clock
what time
what time in the day
daylight rushing to the eyes
to the cheeks
eyes open to see a wall
four stone walls
eight dark corners
one ray of light
what time inside the wall
inside the walls/windows
outside the walls/windows
light
white light
the midnight moon
infiltrates the walls
infiltrates bricks under the feet
four sides, eight corners
once a carefree land
it’s nearer, nearer still
gushing this way
wide-open eyes have forgotten how to fear
what time is it already
please wake up
is it late already
time is tight
should I sleep
should I wait
it’s really hard to wait
wait wait wait
light?
grey, white stripes on bricks
is it a full moon
what time is it
finally, sleep
what time is it out there
is it time to wake up?
Work history
Composed February 2023
Manchester
Workshopped 28 April 2023, in the Cosmo Rodewald Concert Hall, University of Manchester.
Sarah Dacey, soprano
Adam Swayne, piano