AND THEY HAVE LIES has music by A. Eric Heukeshoven based on a poem by Madeline Slade for SATB Choir with Talerschwingen* (Drone) and Contrabass. Grade: D Duration: 4:55

* Talerschwingen are Swiss folk instruments consisting of a small to medium-sized glazed milking bowls in which a 5 Swiss Franc coin is circulated on the inside with a gentle rocking motion of the bowl.

Traditionally, these bowls were meant to imitate the sound of cow bells and provide an underlying fundamental pitch for yodelers.

In this work, the instrument is intended to provide an ethereal drone.

The player may be located away from the choir to provide a more dramatic effect and lower overall dynamics.

A ceramic bowl or flower pot approximately 10 – 18 inches in diameter and 4 – 6 inches in depth.

Composer’s Program Notes:

“And They Have Lies” was commissioned by the La Crosse (WI) Chamber Chorale for their 9th Words to Music program. This program gathers poetry on a given topic from middle school students throughout the city of La Crosse. In 2014, the program was part of a series of  “Compassion Projects” held in the city.

I was initially attracted to the poem by its appearance. One of my colleagues (a commercial graphic designer) said it reminded him of a ransom note. The fact that a middle school student – Madeline Slade – chose to set her words in an offbeat way drew me to the poem. I was also struck by what I perceived to be an overall “darkness” to the text. This is not gentle compassion, but rather sincere compassion that many others simply do not understand or possess.

The unusual selection of a “Talerschwingen” can be attributed to an evening of folk music I attended Crans-Montana, Switzerland shortly before composing “And They Have Lies.” I was struck by the ethereal sound this unusual instrument produced and felt it provided an amount of uncertainty at the beginning and end of the piece. (An authentic Talerschwingen was used for the premiere performances of this work.)

I believe the final verse of Madeline’s poem truly conveys her feelings; “For you have compassion, and they have lies.”