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Brillig
1989

soprano
tenor
flute 
piano

duration 8'

first performance:
Patricia Thom, William Cutter, Douglas Worthen, William Wright
Walnut Hill School, Natick / October 29, 1989


SCORE
Beautiful Soup
Speak Roughly
The Fishes of the Sea
Alice's Evidence


RECORDING
—first performance: n.b. this is poor quality transfer from a cassette tape  


TEXTS
Beautiful Soup
Beautiful Soup, so rich and green, 
Waiting in a hot tureen!
Who for such dainties would not stoop?
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
Beau—ootiful Soo—oop!
Beauootiful Soo—oop!
Soo—oop of the e—e—evening,
Beautiful, beautiful Soup! 

Beautiful Soup, who cares for fish,
Game or any other dish? 
Who would not give all else for two p
ennyworth only of beautiful Soup?
Beau—ootiful Soo—oop!
Beau—ootiful Soo—oop!
Soo—oop of the e—e—evening,
Beautiful, beauti—FUL SOUP! 


Speak Roughly
Speak roughly to your little boy,
And beat him when he sneezes
He only does it to annoy
Because he knows it teases. 

  Wow! wow! wow! 

I speak severely to my boy,
I beat him when he sneezes;
For he can thoroughly enjoy
The pepper when he pleases! 

  Wow! wow! wow! 


The Fishes of the Sea
I sent a message to the fish:
I told them “This is what I wish.” 

The little fishes of the sea,
They sent an answer back to me. 

The little fishes answer was
“We cannot do it, Sir, because—

”I sent to them again say
“It will be better to obey.” 

The fishes answered with a grin,
“Why, what a temper you are in!” 

I told them once, I told them twice:
They would not listen to advice. 

I took a kettle large and new,
Fit for the deed I had to do. 

My heart went hop, my heart went thump;
I filled the kettle at the pump. 

Then some one came to me and said,
“The little fishes are in bed.” 

I said to him, I said it plain,
“Then you must wake them up again.” 

I said it very loud and clear;
I went and shouted in his ear. 

But he was very stiff and proud;
He said “You needn't shout so loud!” 

And he was very proud and stiff;
He said “I'd go and wake them, if—”

I took a corkscrew from the shelf;
I went to wake them up myself. 

And when I found the door was locked,
I pulled and pushed and kicked and knocked. 

And when I found the door was shut,
I tried to turn the handle, but— 


Alice's Evidence
They told me you had been to her,
And mentioned me to him;
She gave me a good character,
But said I could not swim. 

He sent them word I had not gone
(We know it to be true):
If she should push the matter on, 
What would become of you? 

I gave her one, they gave him two,
You gave us three or more;
They all returned from him to you,
Though they were mine before. 

If I or she should chance to be
Involved in this affair,
He trusts to you to set them free,
Exactly as we were. 

My notion was that you had been
(Before she had this fit)
An obstacle that came between
Him, and ourselves, and it. 

Don't let him know she liked him best,
For this must ever be
A secret, kept from all the rest,
Between yourself and me. 

Lewis Carroll (1832–1898)