ME = Moderately Easy
M = Medium
MD = Moderately Difficult
D = Difficult
Things That Go Bump In the Night
SA/SSA, piano, optional flute solo - SEA-011-00 - $6.00/choral score10 minutes - ME
Individual movements also sold separately:
I. ...And the Moon Is Listening - SEA-011-01 - $2.00/copy
II. There It Is Again! - SEA-011-02 - $3.00/copy
III. Things That Go Bump in the Night - SEA-011-03 - $2.50/copy
Commissioned through the Syracuse Society for New Music Composers-in-the-Schools Program
A courageous and funny journey from dusk to dawn, written with students from an elementary school in Syracuse, NY. Opening with lulling night sounds and concluding with the next morning's conquered fears, this three-movement work includes a suspenseful ghost story full of special effects.
Technical Details: This work is not for a shy choir! In order to create a mysterious atmosphere, choir members are asked to speak, whisper, shout, moan, rub their hands together, snap their fingers and stomp their feet on the floor! (Neither may the pianist be a shrinking violet! Some chord clusters and inside the piano effects are called for, not difficult but audacious!) Vocal parts include straightforward two part singing, with a three part canon in the final movement. The original 16 minute version of this work includes interludes for elementary string orchestra and band.
Things That Go Bump In the Night
I. And the moon is listening...
I lie in bed at night and listen.
Doors creak and walls moan,
Faucets drip and the house is settling.
And the moon is listening...
I lie in bed at night and listen.
Mice creep and clocks tick,
Cars send signals across my ceiling.
And the moon is listening...
My cats go bumpity-bump all night,
On the table knocking things down! Bumpity-bumpity-bumpity-bumpity-bump!
I lie in bed at night and listen.
Snow falls and branches sway,
Wind chimes clatter in the breeze.
And the moon is listening...And I drift to sleep...
II. There it is again!
Cracking lumber
Wakes me from my slumber,
And my fear is born.
Sky and clouds brawl,
Simple things make my skin crawl,
And I feel anything but warm.
I hold my breath and dare not make a peep.
I try to go back to sleep.
I can't go back to sleep...
Scratch Scrunchity Scritch - What's that?
I hear a creaking and a moaning,
Souls in agony are groaning.
There it is again!
Scratch Scrunchity Scritch - Who's there?
It's getting louder, and louder, and louder!
Is it alive or is it dead?
Something's creeping under my bed!
Is it a horseman without a head?
I want to scream for my mom and dad!
There it is again!
Scratch Scrunchity Scritch
I feel my hair rising... rising... higher and higher to the roof! I'm (BUMP) - I'm (BUMP) - I'm so scared I can't open my eyes! I'm (BUMP) - I'm (BUMP) - I'm so scared I jump out of my Pjs! I'm (BUMP) - I'm (BUMP) - I'm so scared I start to grow a beard! I'm (BUMP) - I'm (BUMP) - I'm...
Open the door to my closet.
Trying to find what could cause it.
Is it a spider on a string?
Is it a big green gooey thing?
Is it a vampire whose teeth go cling?
There it is again!
I feel my house shaking...shaking...shaking...No, I'm shaking!
A roar and a rip and then I know
It's a... it's a... it's a...
And it's coming closer, and closer, and closer, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! It opens up my door! Its eyes turn red! And it's coming towards me and I hear this noise...
(Adult voice, spoken:) GET BACK IN BED!
(Tutti:) I turn on the light, not a shadow in sight -
So I go back to sleep, and I don't hear a peep.
III. Things That Go Bump in the Night
I pull the covers from my face,
and glance around the room.
The light of dawn reveals no trace
that I had been visited by creatures of doom.
Things that go bump in the night just might
make somebody get light with fright.
They get so scared that they might be cared
by the things that go bump in the night.
But they know it isn't true,
And hopefully so do you.
Adapted from poems by students at Edward Smith Elementary School (Syracuse, NY). Copyright © 1997 by Elizabeth Alexander.
I. And the moon is listening...
I lie in bed at night and listen.
Doors creak and walls moan,
Faucets drip and the house is settling.
And the moon is listening...
I lie in bed at night and listen.
Mice creep and clocks tick,
Cars send signals across my ceiling.
And the moon is listening...
My cats go bumpity-bump all night,
On the table knocking things down! Bumpity-bumpity-bumpity-bumpity-bump!
I lie in bed at night and listen.
Snow falls and branches sway,
Wind chimes clatter in the breeze.
And the moon is listening...And I drift to sleep...
II. There it is again!
Cracking lumber
Wakes me from my slumber,
And my fear is born.
Sky and clouds brawl,
Simple things make my skin crawl,
And I feel anything but warm.
I hold my breath and dare not make a peep.
I try to go back to sleep.
I can't go back to sleep...
Scratch Scrunchity Scritch - What's that?
I hear a creaking and a moaning,
Souls in agony are groaning.
There it is again!
Scratch Scrunchity Scritch - Who's there?
It's getting louder, and louder, and louder!
Is it alive or is it dead?
Something's creeping under my bed!
Is it a horseman without a head?
I want to scream for my mom and dad!
There it is again!
Scratch Scrunchity Scritch
I feel my hair rising... rising... higher and higher to the roof! I'm (BUMP) - I'm (BUMP) - I'm so scared I can't open my eyes! I'm (BUMP) - I'm (BUMP) - I'm so scared I jump out of my Pjs! I'm (BUMP) - I'm (BUMP) - I'm so scared I start to grow a beard! I'm (BUMP) - I'm (BUMP) - I'm...
Open the door to my closet.
Trying to find what could cause it.
Is it a spider on a string?
Is it a big green gooey thing?
Is it a vampire whose teeth go cling?
There it is again!
I feel my house shaking...shaking...shaking...No, I'm shaking!
A roar and a rip and then I know
It's a... it's a... it's a...
And it's coming closer, and closer, and closer, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! It opens up my door! Its eyes turn red! And it's coming towards me and I hear this noise...
(Adult voice, spoken:) GET BACK IN BED!
(Tutti:) I turn on the light, not a shadow in sight -
So I go back to sleep, and I don't hear a peep.
III. Things That Go Bump in the Night
I pull the covers from my face,
and glance around the room.
The light of dawn reveals no trace
that I had been visited by creatures of doom.
Things that go bump in the night just might
make somebody get light with fright.
They get so scared that they might be cared
by the things that go bump in the night.
But they know it isn't true,
And hopefully so do you.
Adapted from poems by students at Edward Smith Elementary School (Syracuse, NY). Copyright © 1997 by Elizabeth Alexander.
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