And Dymn the Welkin
tenor solo, SATB chorus, piano, 2 electric guitars, percussion (1976)

Uses text from Christopher Marlowe’s “Dr. Faustus.” Part of my Angst Period. Because of the allegedly satanic subject matter, a couple of choral members refused to sing it. Opted out at the last minute, too. There was once obviously a score, but I sure can’t find it now.

Mice
soprano, tenor, piano, harpsichord, mousetraps (1989)

Written for Musica Pro Ecologica, an environmental-themed concert at the University of Vermont. Hmm? Why, no. I didn’t think that rodents were a stretch for a concert with the environment as its subject matter, not at all!

  

Armies Of Mice
2 narrators, SATB chorus, juggler, recorder, flute, piano, rhythmatron, mousetraps (1982)

No angst here! I clipped the text a word at a time from four Colorado newspapers, pasted them into the score (predating the cut-and-paste word processing function by a month at least), then added music and mousetraps. To supply the perky rhythms, composer-designer Dennis Báthory-Kitsz built the fabulous Rhythmatron  which, sadly, no longer exists.

  

Pox (sic) Vobiscum
tenor, chorus, viola, cello, piano (1991)

Performed and recorded at a Vermont Composers Festival, but not with the full complement of instruments. (The violinist, cellist and half of the chorus never showed up.) Ergo, this performance does not meet the High Quality Standards you, the Discerning Website Visitor, have come to expect here. Oh, and here are the lyrics.

Big Sister
SATB actors, piano, synthesizer, cello, drum kit (1987)

This black comedy cabaret describes a game show in a hospital for the criminally insane. Its eight songs are performed by four characters: Dr. Bob Trampolino, the game show host; Jules, the prisoner/contestant; Sergeant Gus, the guard; and Rebecca, the nurse. My dialogue, my lyrics, my music, my goodness!

Part 1   Part 2   Part 3 
Part 4   Part 5   Part 6 
The Lyrics 

Suspenders
SATB voices, soprano & alto recorders, alto and tenor krummhorns, mandolin, concertina, acoustic guitar, castanets, 2 Pakastani autohorns, Niederhorn, kitharette, p’tang (1978)

This silly piece with silly text was performed at the 1977 New York Avant-Garde Festival. An audience of eleven, which included a music critic from South America, listened in amusement. The text translations are here, as is a description of the odder instruments.

 

Baby Alice
alto voice, harp, harpsichord, piano, cello, tam-tam (2016)