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about

THE GRAY is inspired by a poem from Boston-based composer, singer, actor, and poet John Haukoos. It is an examination of failure and redemption, themes which feel apropos in the realm of improvisation.

lyrics

Darkness, like a cosmic cave
My lantern is lit
I have purpose
Keep it lit
My life’s entire purpose.

Then speaks the Gray,
The Evermass
“This is where you end up”

The ritual continues
But I can’t
I can’t.

The Gray floods in
My feet sticking
“Your lantern is dim.
It is of no use.

It oozes, it swims,
I lose my footing.

Now drown!”
Drown!
Drown!

The water, clear
And I drown.

I wash up on the beach in the dead of night.
God sits on a throne, his thin black skin stretched over his bones.
Thin fingers, an empty face.

“You failed.” He said
I know. I look to the lantern, extinguished.
God plucked it out of the sand and threw it onto a pile of others.

“You really did a number on this one, didn’t you?”
A child broke another toy.

“Rest” He murmured, the tide in his voice
“For a bit. Take your time, and then
You’ll get another lantern
And try again.”

credits

from Composition Sped Up, released January 18, 2023
The Gray
John Haukoos
johnhaukoos.com

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Nightingale Vocal Ensemble Boston, Massachusetts

Dedicated to crafting conceptual experiences with original new music, audience engagement, and a collage of art forms.

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