Ned Sublette - Chorus 5 - voice, radio
Vera Beren - Clytemnestra - voice
David Avidor - Emax, synthesizers, tape
Nicole V. Gagné - voice, found objects
CHORUS 5
and they that of his victory and comming home were glad
to sodayne mourning chaunge their myrth with heavinesse bestad
CLYTEMNESTRA
I am not ashamed herewithal
at speaking words that were not true
in working mischiefe men do take the rediest way they fynde
longe I did my husbandes death conspyre
and to day by sleight and subtil guyle
entangled hath I this man refusing cleane to be confound
my gashing sword stucke him
thrust through his ribbes
it did sucke the sappy marrow out immixed with his bloud
and this juice it conveyed every where
like the sacred raygne
launching from his gory syde
stayning every thing
in a darke wave that I stil taste of
his death is not sawst with soppes of sorrow
I doe rejoyce
in his lyfetyme hee did temper poyson strong
which to day hee did feede on him selfe
CHORUS 5
this heavy sight
this noble hearte deprived of his life
and her with her rough and churlishe lookes
CLYTEMNESTRA
I will not waver with feare
like some weak harted woman
I stroke him downe
prayes mee or curse mee
it all is the same
one law doth rule
I did keepe it
and that is that
CHORUS 5
thou hast committed sinfully a great and grievous guilt
goe purge thy hardned hands the which thy husbande bloud have spilt
scud out of my sight
CLYTEMNESTRA
now nurtures lore neglected is all ryght doth clean decay
after what sorte dost thou
declare mee an outcast banisht woman
as yet forget I not my daughter
and that infamy whose blemish staynes his bloud
yet never did makest thou him
in such reproachfulness to wade
nothing dismayde thee at Aulis Ile
to check what hee durst do
as at a wedding alter syde th'unpitiful parent stoode
and for the sacred virgins love
hee retourned death
slaughtered my child
snapped her head of with his swerd
could not that offence suffice for exile
give mee to understande
what man is hee
that should not pay his paynes and suffer death
if thou can so enstruct mee
my kingdome therfore I cast of
now wil I rove at large
if not I shall teach thee
how to a queene thy taunting to forbeare
CHORUS 5
her spotted weede with sprinkles
signe of slaughter
beare recorde of her deede
as yet they bee not dry
CLYTEMNESTRA
some man els I have
him that of my perills all dost suffer part with mee
and in my realme wil also rule with egall dignity
Aegisthus who lights the blase in my private simple bower
my husband eflamd with Troyan prophets love
retourned a prysoners spouse and Pryams sonne in law
but that trull of prynces bed did meete her death
like as the swan with a songe inspyred by Phoebus grace divine
see his breathless corse tossed uppon hers
encreasyng leaudnes still
his boyling brest doth smoke
with wound but newly stroke
and freshly still hee fedes his lust least
his chamber chast should want a stewes
CHORUS 5
my death when I shall take I shall bee pleased well to dye
hee that of thousand captaynes was graunde captayne generall
come to as great calamity as Troy it selfe did fall
CLYTEMNESTRA
Troy is become
a wyde gaping hole
with dreadfull sounds and stinking smels
yet Helen is wed to Menela agayne
now after death why dost thou seeke
with these paynes wee ryght our selves
CHORUS 5
o bussard blynde you doe delight in your brutish guise
the Furies hale them on
in this house of the Tantalus bloude
CLYTEMNESTRA
Tantalus hee hath made this stock a bloudy raunsome pay
the author of this wicked pedagrew
hee burns now with thyrst of hell
yet the graundsires payneful pangues
can not the childrens wrath asswage
with a lewde unlucky hand
hee did beginne the rusty rancours the cankred hate
which never purged is
CHORUS 5
wyddow
thy husband is bereved quight of breath his lyfe is donne
but what heere is not Gods will
CLYTEMNESTRA
all this is the sonnes of Tantalus and theyr grudge
one might not move theyr sprights
in law to theyr mynds I did not spare my husband
CHORUS 5
Agamemnons death is on thy heade
but the children doe complayne from Thyestes paunch
the fathers guilt hath caused the force of furious foes
the chariot horse with raynes clogde and overquelmed
this geare out stretched ready lies in every coast
and is spread the seas uppon
CLYTEMNESTRA
I did but returne the self same trade a new
paying il with yll
his fate deservde is by guiltles bloud of our daughter
now in hell hee seekes about for his defence
but his conscience doth pricke and bringes him
to the shame that stills his lips
CHORUS 5
fortune hales on a rayne of bloude
and with unmeasureable might
our house is topsy turvey tost our kingdomes doe decay
our ruthfull realmes to ruin ronne our stock is cast away
suffer mee take parte of sacrifice with thee
graunt mee my dome by means of death to passe unto my grave
all plunge of perills past hee is and at a quiet stay
hee is escapte and gone
who shall celebrate his funerall with dirge and solemne songe
CLYTEMNESTRA
there wil be no teares to night
no woefull waylings hard in any place about
wee shall passe him to deadly grave
but no cause of mourning have we
the people wil not mone theyr prynces death
at the blackest streame of Sticks
hee shall stand with dolor beyng prest agaynst her
our child who did take his deadly stroake
shee wil holdeth him
CHORUS 5
heere is wrath for wrath ech opprest with egall griefe
which aunswere were sufficient to please a parent just
they who sowe death
shall reap death
that is Gods fact
what person can bee free of this bloude wrath
CLYTEMNESTRA
by bloud wee win the waveryng windes
with this sacryfice wee wrap our selves out of this woe
it is the best to chuse that chaunce and follow on that way
may the lowring Gods unto us
now favourable make them selves
the furious force that makes such rigour raygne
let it thrive no more heere in
let this be the last cryme that ever in this princely court was sowen
supported by 7 fans who also own “Act 5: Chorus 5 and Clytemnestra”
wow wow wow is this boxset ever full of riches. Dreamtime, The Driver's Son, and Barn Fever are some of my new favourites, and I am 1 of those people who first (knowingly) came across"Blue" Gene Tyranny's work through Trust in Rock. now I have the pleasure of working backwards, forwards, and in all of the degrees of freedom found Cage's Deli
supported by 6 fans who also own “Act 5: Chorus 5 and Clytemnestra”
Fantastic stuff!!! Scratches all my itches: reich, bit of glass, some Laurie spiegel…. Just killer stuff. Can’t wait for my vinyl to arrvie! Jay Hodgson
A collection of tracks from the singer and multi-disciplinary artist's 111 collaboration series, featuring KMRU, Laraaji, and others. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 25, 2024
supported by 5 fans who also own “Act 5: Chorus 5 and Clytemnestra”
Absolutely love this recording. I listen to it at work. I listen to it in the car on the way home from work. I listen to it while falling asleep. Curtis’ cello is so amazing. Just got the vinyl in the mail from Discogs the other day! Can’t wait to play on my hi-fi system! Dave Sewall