John Cage - Litany for the Whale (1/2)

Litany for the Whale, for 2 equal voices (1980)

Alan Bennett & Paul Elliot, voices

This approximately 25-minute work composed in 1980 is for two voices of similar or "equal" tessitura. The work has as its text the individual letters of the word "whale", each letter being assigned an pitch. This first pitch/letter association provides an unchanging response to a set of variations of these pitch/letter groupings. Alternating between the two singers, this is the classic "call and response" social form found throughout the musical/sound communication world of all mammals. Cage remarked (although this is not indicated in the score) that he wished the two singers to perform with their backs facing the audience ... this would "neutralize" the specific personalities of the performers and perhaps even suggest a non-human sound producer.

The pitches chosen by Cage give an ancient modal (even Gregorian chant) and peaceful quality to the music.

And, certainly, the call and response of the two singers directly suggests two whales calling to each other over the great oceanic distances. [allmusic.com]

Art by Sang-Hyun Chung