Words and Music
Page 2
CROAK: Bob.
WORDS: From.
Violent thump of club.
CROAK: Bob!
MUSIC: As before.
CROAK- Love!
MUSIC: Rap of baton on stand. Soft music worthy of foregoing, great expression, with audible groans and protestations- "No!" "Please etc.-from WORDS. Pause.
CROAK: (anguished). Oh! (Thump of club.) Louder!
MUSIC: Loud rap of baton and as before fortissimo, all expression gone, drowning WORDS' protestations.
Pause.
CROAK: My comforts. (Pause.) Joe sweet.
WORDS: (as before). Arise then and go now the manifest unanswerable-
CROAK: Groans.
WORDS: ... to wit this love what is this love that more than all the cursed deadly or any other of its great movers so moves the soul and soul what is this soul that more than by any of its great movers is by love so moved? (Clears throat. Prosaic.) Love of woman, I mean, if that is what my Lord means.
CROAK: Alas!
WORDS: What? (Pause. Very rhetorical.) Is love the word? (Pause. Do.) Is soul the word? (Pause. Do.) Do we mean love, when we say love? (Pause. Do.) Soul, when we say soul?
Pause.
CROAK: (anguished). Oh! (Pause.) Bob dear.
WORDS: Do we? (With sudden gravity.) Or don't we?
CROAK: (imploring). Bob!
MUSIC: Rap of baton. Love and soul music, with just audible protestations-"No!" "Please" "Peace" etc.-from WORDS. Pause.
CROAK: (anguished). Oh! (Pause.) My balms! (Pause.) Joe.
WORDS: (humble). My Lord.
CROAK: Bob.
MUSIC: Adsum as before.
CROAK: My balms! (Pause.) Age. (Pause.) Joe. (Pause. Thump of club.) Joe!
WORDS: (as before). My Lord.
CROAK: Age!
Pause.
WORDS: (faltering). Age is ... age is when ... old age I mean... if that is what my Lord means ... is when ... if you're a man were a man ... huddled ... nodding ... the ingle waiting-
Violent thump of club.
CROAK: Bob. (Pause.) Age. (Pause. Violent thump of club.) Age!
MUSIC: Rap of baton. Age music, soon interrupted by violent thump.
CROAK: Together. (Pause. Thump.) Together! (Pause. Violent thump.) Together, dogs!
MUSIC: Long la.
WORDS: (imploring). No!
Violent thump.
CROAKS: Dogs!
MUSIC: La.
WORDS: (trying to sing). Age is when ... to a man...
MUSIC: Improvement of above.
WORDS: (trying to sing this). Age is when to a man . . .
MUSIC: Suggestion for following.
WORDS: (trying to sing this). Huddled o'er . . . the ingle (Pause. Violent thump. Trying to sing.) Waiting for the hag to put the ... pan ... in the bed...
MUSIC: Improvement of above.
WORDS: (trying to sing this). Waiting for the hag to put the pan in the bed...
MUSIC: Suggestion for following.
WORDS: (trying to sing this). And bring the ... arrowroot (Pause. Violent thump. As before.) And bring the toddy.
Pause. Tremendous thump.
CROAK: Dogs!
MUSIC: Suggestion for following.
WORDS: (trying to sing this). She comes in the ashes ... (Imploring.) No!
MUSIC: Repeats suggestion.
WORDS: (trying to sing this). She comes in the ashes who loved could not be ... won or...
Pause.
MUSIC: Repeats end of previous suggestion.
WORDS: (trying to sing this). Or won not loved ... (wearily)… or some other trouble ... (Pause. Trying to sing.) Comes the ashes like in that old-
MUSIC: Interrupts with improvement of this and brief suggestion.
WORDS: (trying to sing this). Comes in the ashes like in that light ... her face ... in the ashes . . .
Pause.
CROAK: Groans.
MUSIC: Suggestion for following.
WORDS: (trying to sing this). That old moonlight ... on the earth... again.
Pause.
MUSIC: Further brief suggestion.
Silence.
CROAK: Groans.
MUSIC: Plays air through alone, then invites WORDS with opening, pause, invites again and finally accompanies very softly
WORDS: (trying to sing, softly).
Age is when to a man
Huddled o'er the ingle
Shivering for the hag
To put the pan in the bed
And bring the toddy
She comes in the ashes
Who loved could not be won
Or won not loved
Or some other trouble
Comes in the ashes
Like in that old light
The face in the ashes
That old starlight
On the earth again.
Long pause.
CROAK: (murmur). The face. (Pause.) The face. (Pause.) The face. (Pause.) The face.
MUSIC: Rap of baton and warmly sentimental, about one minute.
Pause.
CROAK: The face.
WORDS: (cold). Seen from above in that radiance so cold and faint...
Pause.
MUSIC: Warm suggestion from above for above.
WORDS: (disregarding, cold). Seen from above at such close quarters in that radiance so cold and faint with eyes so dimmed by . . . what bad passed, its quite . . . piercing beauty is a little...
Pause.
MUSIC: Renews timidly previous suggestion.
WORDS: (interrupting, violently). Peace!
CROAK: My comforts! Be friends!
Pause.
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