A Hero Must

8/22/2019 A Hero Must

1/28

A Hero Must:For Bass Vocalist and Piano

Music by C.N. Madison

Text from The Odyssey by Homer

Copyright 2013 C.N. Madison


2/28

Notes:A Hero Must is simply about the aspects of what makes a great hero. We find heroes to be desirable

figures, because they are relatable as humans, yet their characteristics which they share with us are

amplified to heavy degrees. Each of these movements is meant to highlight some of these aspects,

including Striving (A call to action, if you will), Raging, Suffering, Conquering, and Loving more than the

average man or woman. The text all comes from the Odyssey, wherein we find the hero Odysseus on

his journey home to Ithaca overcoming obstacles which are constantly thrown in his path.

Text:Movement I: From Book 1, lines 1-12

Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns

driven time and again off course, once he had plundered

the hallowed heights of Troy.

Many cities of men he saw and learned their minds,

many pains he suffered, heartsick on the open sea,fighting to save his life and bring his comrades home.

But he could not save them from disaster, hard as he strove-

the recklessness of their own ways destroyed them all,

the blind fools, they devoured the cattle of the Sun

and the Sun god wiped from sight the day of their return.

Launch out on his story, Muse, daughter of Zeus,

start from where you will- and sing for our time


3/28

Movement II: From Book 9, lines 548-562

Again I began to taunt the cyclops-

men around me trying to check me, calm me, left and right:

'so headstrong why? Why rile the beast again?'

'That rock he flung in the sea just now, hurling our ship

to shore once more- we thought we'd die on the spot!'

'

'If he'd caught a sound from us, just a moan,

he would have crushed out heads and ship timbers

with one heave of another flashing jagged rock!'

'Good god! The brute can throw!'

So they begged

but they could not bring my fighting spirit round.

I called back with another burst of anger, 'Cyclops-

if any man on the face of this earth should ask you

who blinded you, shamed you so- say Odysseus,

raider of cities, he gouged out your eye,

Laertes' son who makes his home in Ithaca!'

Movement III: From Book 11 Line 233-243

And I, my mind in turmoil, how I longed

to embrace my mother's spirit, dead as she was!

Three times I rushed toward her, desperate to hold her,

three times she fluttered through my fingers, sifting away

like a shadow, dissolving like a dream, and each time

the grief cut to the heart, sharper, yes, and I,

I cried out to her'Mother- why not wait for me? How I long to hold you!-

so even here in this House of Death, we can fling

our loving arms around each other, take some joy

in the tears that numb the heart.'


4/28

Movement IV: From Book 22 Line 314-325

The attackers struck like eagles, crook-clawed, hook-beaked,

swooping down from a mountain ridge to harry smaller birds

that skim across the flatland, cringing under the clouds

but the eagles plunge in fury, rip their lives out- hopeless,

never a chance of flight or rescue- and people love the sport-

so the attackers routed suitors headlong down the hall,

wheeling into the slaughter, slashing left and right and grisly screams broke from skulls cracked open-

the whole floor awash with blood

Movement V: From Book 23 Line 270-280

So joyous now to her

the sight of her husband, vivid in her gaze,

that her white arms embracing his neck

would never for a moment let him go........

dawn with her rose-red fingers might have shone

upon their tears, if with her glinting eyesAthena had not thought of one more thing.

She held back the night, and night lingered long

at the western edge of the earth, while in the east

she reigned in Dawn of the golden throne at Ocean's banks,

commanding her not to yoke the wind-swift team that brings men light,

Blaze and Aurora, the young colts who race the Morning on.


5/28

Bass

Piano

Sing to

me, of the

man muse

the

B

Pno.

8

man of twists and turns

8

dri ven

time and a gain

off course

3

once he had plun dered

- - -

B

Pno.

13 the hal lowed

13

heights of troy.

Man y cit ies

- - -

A Hero MustC.N. Madison

2013

Strive More than Men


6/28

B

Pno.

18 of men he saw

18

and learn'd their minds

ma ny pains

he suf fered

- -

B

Pno.

23 heart sick on the o

23

pen sea

accel.

3

-

B

Pno.

27

3

Fight ing to save his life27

With Energyand Passion ()

and bring his com rades home

but he could not

- -

B

Pno.

30

save them from their own dis

30

3

a ster hard as he st rove

3

hard as he

strove

- -

2


7/28

B

Pno.

35

35

3 3

3 3

3

3

The reck less ness

sub.

- -

B

Pno.

41 of their own ways de stroyed

41

them all

The blind fools they de

3

vou red the cat tle of

- - - -

B

Pno.

45

the sun

45

and the Sun god

sub.

wiped out from sight

the day of their re turn

-

B

Pno.

49

49

Their re turn

a tempo

Launch out

-

3


8/28

B

Pno.

54 on this sto ry muse

54

3

daugh ter

3

of Zeuss

start from where you will

and sing for

our time too

- -

B

Pno.

60 60

4


9/28

Bass

Piano

3

3

3

5

3

Pno.

4

3

5

3

Pno.

7

B

Pno.

9

A gain a gain

9

I be gan to taunt the cy clops

- - - -

A Hero Must

C.N. Madison

2013

ScoreRage More than Men


10/28

B

Pno.

11

3

Men a round me try ing to check me, calm me,

11

5

3

left and right

- -

B

Pno.

13 So head strong

13

sub.

3

why? Why ri le the beast a

gain

- - -

B

Pno.

18

3

That rock he flung in the sea

18

sub.

3

just now hur ling our

ship to shore once more

-

B

Pno.

22

3

We thought we'd die on the spot

22

If he'd caught a sound from us, just a

In a mocking tone,

Recitative-like

Falsetto, still mocking


11/28

B

Pno.

25 3

moan he would have

25

crushed our heads and

ship t im bers with

one heave of a nother

- - -

B

Pno.

29

flash ing jag ged rock

29

Good God!

3

The brute can Throw!

- -

B

Pno.

33

33

So they begged but they could not bring my fight

-

B

Pno.

35

ing spi rit round

35

I call'd back

with a no ther burst of

- - -

Return to strict rhythm


12/28

B

Pno.

39

an ger

39

Cy clops!

If a ny man on the face

- - -

B

Pno.

43 of the earth should ask you

43

who blin ded you

shamed you

-

B

Pno.

46

say O dyss e us

46

O dyss e us

O dyss e us

- - - - - - - - -

B

Pno.

49 rai der of ci ties he gouged out

49

your eye

laer te's son who makes his home in

- - -


13/28

B

Pno.

52 I tha ca!

52

3

3

3

- -


14/28

Bass

Piano

And I my mind in tur

moil how

-

B

Pno.

7

I longed to em brace

7

my mo ther's spi rit

3

dead as she was

- - -

B

Pno.

12

Three times I rush'd toward

12

3

her des perate to hold

her

-

A Hero Must

C.N. Madison

2013

Suffer More Than Men


15/28

B

Pno.

15

three times she flut tered

15

through my fin gers sif

ting a way

- - -

B

Pno.

18

18

3

Like a sha dow dis sol ving

like a dream

- - -

B

Pno.

21

3and each time the grief

21

cut to the heart


16/28

B

Pno.

23

shar per shar per yes and

23

3

I I cried out to her

- -

B

Pno.

25

Mo ther Mo ther why not

25

3 33

wait for me how

- -

B

Pno.

27

I long to hold you

27


17/28

B

Pno.

31 3

So ev en here in this house of

31

death

We can f ling our lo ving arms

- -

B

Pno.

34 a round each o ther

34

Take some joy

in the tears that numb

- -

B

Pno.

38 the heart

38


18/28

Bass

Piano

B

Pno.

3

3

B

Pno.

5

5

A Hero Must

C.N. Madison

2013

Conquer More than Men


19/28

B

Pno.

7

7

The att ack ers struck like ea gles- - -

B

Pno.

9

9

Crook Clawed-

B

Pno.

11

11

hook beaked -


20/28

B

Pno.

13

33

3

swoo ping down from a moun tain ridge to ha rry

13

small er birds- - - -

B

Pno.

15

that skim a cross the flat land

15

crin ging un der the clouds- - - -

B

Pno.

17

17

but the ea gles plunge in fu ry

3 3 3

- -


21/28

B

Pno.

20

rip their lives

20

out hope less-

B

Pno.

23

3

ne ver a chance of flight or

23

non dim.

res cue- -

B

Pno.

26

and peo ple love the spo rt

26

-


22/28

B

Pno.

28

3

So the att ack ers rou

28

ted suit ors down the hall Whee ling in to the slaugh- - - - - - - -

B

Pno.

31

ter

31

slash ing left and right and gris- -

B

Pno.

34

ly screams

34

from skulls crack'd


23/28

B

Pno.

36

o pen

36

the whole floor a wash- -

B

Pno.

38

with blood

38


24/28

Bass

Piano

So joy ous now to

her

the sight of her hus

band vi vid

- - -

B

Pno.

5 3

in her gaze

5

that her white arms, em bra

cing his neck would ne ver

- - -

B

Pno.

9

for a mo ment let him

9

rit.

go!

Dawn with her rose co lored

a tempo

-

A Hero Must

C.N. Madison

2013

ScoreLove More than Men


25/28

B

Pno.

12 fin gers would have

12

shone u pon their tears,

3

if with her glin ting eyes

3

- - -

B

Pno.

16

A the na had not thought of

16

one more

thing

- -

B

Pno.

19 She held back the night

19

5 5

and night lin gered

5 5

long

5 5

-

A Hero Must2


26/28

B

Pno.

22 at the wes tern edge of the

22

5 5

earth

5 5

3 3 3 3

3 3

-

B

Pno.

24

while in the east she reigned in dawn

24

3 33 3

3 3 3 3

5 5

of the gol den throne at

3 3

5

3 3

3 3

-

B

Pno.

26 o cean's bank

26

5

3

3 3

3 3 3 3 3 3

-

A Hero Must 3


27/28

B

Pno.

27

Com man ding her not to yoke

27

3

3 33 3

3 3

3

the wind swift team

- - -

B

Pno.

29

3that brings men light

29

blaze and au ro ra the

- -

B

Pno.

31

young colts who race the mor

31

ning on

A Hero Must4


28/28

B

Pno.

33

33

5 5

Race the mor ning

5 5

-

B

Pno.

35

on!

35

rit.

B

Pno.

39

39

A Hero Must 5

Date post:	08-Aug-2018
Category:	Documents
Upload:	caleb-madison
View:	213 times
Download:	0 times

A Hero Must

Documents