for soprano and percussion, with text by an anonymous pastor from Aleppo.

Percussion needed:
Bass drum (two total - one for each performer)
High Bender Gong (also called Chinese Gong or Opera Gong)
Kick drum (two total - one for each performer)
Large Tam-tam
Marimba

"Waiting death.

Here in my room sitting in darkness because we get electricity only one hour per day or less, around midnight, waiting with others in the building where I live for death to visit me. It looks like death is playing with us, like a game of hide and seek.

Two mortars fell on the building in front of us, another to the right, another one on a building just in the next street, but not on ours!

So the question or the questions are: is the coming building ours? But when it will be? Shall I stay in my bed, so I’ll rest in peace on my bed? Or should I go down to the ground floor? But till when will stay there? Should I sleep, or it is better to stay awake to feel the moment when death will come riding on those rockets?

Wow! Here is another one shaking the big building of four floors where I live, pushing the windows violently. And scary screams blow up from here and there. But it is midnight, and there are no lights on to allow me to go out and see what is going on! And what if another rocket fell down when I was out to see what happened?

I think it is better to stay in my room waiting death, who is flying all around here like crazy. At least I took a shower few hours ago, you understand what I mean, don’t you?

Here is another one, I think it is better to keep silent!”

• Aleppo, midnight of 1 October 2014

***This download is for one authorized use and is not to be copied or distributed.***