The Electronic Alice - Part One
All in the Golden Afternoon & The Lobster Quadrille
for
Mixed Chorus, Piano, Amplified Harpsichord and Electronic Sounds
All in the Golden Afternoon & The Lobster Quadrille
for
Mixed Chorus, Piano, Amplified Harpsichord and Electronic Sounds
All in the Golden Afternoon, the preface to Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, depicts the story of how the tales began. Charles Dodgson, aka. Lewis Carroll, friend of the Liddell family, frequently took the three Liddell sisters on rowing excursions, complete with picnic baskets and lessons in the art of rowing.
During one of those excursions the first telling of Alice's adventures took place. It is from the first-hand accounts of those summer days that the background for this poem becomes clearer. The story would have faded away had not Alice, the middle sister, insisted that the tales be written down especially for her.
The poem The Lobster Quadrille, the second major section of the Electronic Alice - Part One is a parody of the The Spider and the Fly.
During one of those excursions the first telling of Alice's adventures took place. It is from the first-hand accounts of those summer days that the background for this poem becomes clearer. The story would have faded away had not Alice, the middle sister, insisted that the tales be written down especially for her.
The poem The Lobster Quadrille, the second major section of the Electronic Alice - Part One is a parody of the The Spider and the Fly.
"“Will you walk a little faster?” said a whiting to a snail,
There’s a porpoise close behind us, and he’s treading on my tail."
There’s a porpoise close behind us, and he’s treading on my tail."
""Will you walk into my parlour?" said a spider to a fly:
'Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy."
'Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy."
In The Electronic Alice, Walker incorporates the original folk tune, The Spider and the Fly treated as a madrigal, into the fabric of the second section.
Electronic Alice - Part 1
SUNY Geneseo Chamber singers - Robert Isgro, Director
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All in the Golden Afternoon -
Lewis Carroll All in the golden afternoon Full leisurely we glide; For both our oars, with little skill, By little arms are plied, While little hands make vain pretense Our wanderings to guide. Ah, cruel Three! In such an hour, Beneath such dreamy weather, To beg a tale of breath too weak To stir the tiniest feather! Yet what can one poor voice avail Against three tongues together? Imperious Prima flashes forth Her edict to "begin it"-- In gentler tones Secunda hopes "There will be nonsense in it"-- While Tertia interrupts the tale Not more than once a minute. Anon, to sudden silence won, In fancy they pursue The dream-child moving through a land Of wonders wild and new, In friendly chat with bird or beast-- And half believe it true. And ever, as the story drained The wells of fancy dry, And faintly strove that weary one To put the subject by, "The rest next time"--"It is next time!" The happy voices cry. Thus grew the tale of Wonderland: Thus slowly, one by one, Its quaint events were hammered out-- And now the tale is done, And home we steer, a merry crew, Beneath the setting sun. Alice! a childish story take, And with a gentle hand Lay it where Childhood's dreams are twined In Memory's mystic band, Like pilgrim's withered wreath of flowers |
The Lobster Quadrille -
Lewis Carroll “Will you walk a little faster?” said a whiting to a snail, “There’s a porpoise close behind us, and he’s treading on my tail. See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance! They are waiting on the shingle—will you come and join the dance? Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, will you join the dance? Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, won’t you join the dance? “You can really have no notion how delightful it will be When they take us up and throw us, with the lobsters, out to sea!" But the snail replied, “Too far, too far!” and gave a look askance-- Said he thanked the whiting kindly, but he would not join the dance. Would not, could not, would not, could not, would not join the dance. Would not, could not, would not, could not, could not join the dance. “What matters it how far we go?” his scaly friend replied. “There is another shore, you know, upon the other side. The further off from England the nearer is to France-- Then turn not pale, beloved snail, but come and join the dance. Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, will you join the dance? Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, won’t you join the dance?” |