Waiting

Waiting

Duration: 7:11

Instrumentation: Vocal (Tenor/High Voice), Piano

Technical Specifications: .wav 44.1kHz stereo audio

Performer: Will George (Tenor), Marguerite Witvoet (Piano)

Year: 2018

Created as part of the 2018 CMC Art Song Lab, Waiting is based on a poem of the same name by Japanese-Canadian poet Kagan Goh.

While its origins came from a unique and tragic event in Canadian history as described in Kagan’s book Surviving Samsara, the themes of loss, and longing are universal in their impact. I tried to capture both the sense of loss that the character felt, but also his fleeting joy at the possibility of reunion with his wife.

The origin of the story begins in turmoil and the extended piano introduction reflects that, before settling down into stillness and reminiscence. The story has Japanese-Canadian origins, and I tried to use musical devices and harmonic material from both cultures, while being respectful and without sounding too overt in either tradition.

The piece ends like it begins, nothing has changed in the singer's life, despite his brief glimpse at happiness.

Raindrops falling
I hear a voice calling
How long have you been waiting?
All of my life.

Is it true we met before
Some other time
Some distant shore
Is it you
I’m not quite sure
Could you be my wife?

She left me here long ago
Why? I still don’t know
She said wait for me
Now I’ve grown old
Afraid to go on
Without my wife.