Force of Nature

presented by
The Capital Hearings
and special guest
Pixel String Quartet

7:30pm
October 5, 2024
LIVE at 10th & G

    1. Earth (2009)

    2. Singin’ in the Rain (1929)

    3. Le Chant des Oyseaulx (c. 1528)

    4. Cruel Summer / Out of the Woods (2019 & 2014)

    5. Le Quattro Stagioni

Earth

  • 2008

    Imogen Heap

    arr. Gregory Ristow

    Leila Schochet, soloist

  • Baby, behave, we'll make it work
    Baby, behave, we'll make it work (x7)

    Are you with me?
    Are you with me?
    Are you with me?

    You're not golden
    And I'm getting tired
    Act like you own the place
    When really you've only just arrived

    I caught first glimmers
    In hides and skins
    Look who's all grown up
    Black swanning about the solar winds

    You're gonna lose it all
    And find yourself on your knees
    So, get a grip and you might
    Flow, reverse the great, slow bleed

    I've tried patience, but
    You always want a war
    This house won't tolerate any more
    Stop this right away

    Put that down and clean this mess up
    End of conversation
    Put your back in it and
    Make it up to me now

    The cold shoulder
    Folded arms and looking up
    You've never listened
    And carry on careless, regardless

    This is not a fire drill and
    If we hold any hope
    It's harmonic connection
    And stereos in symbiosis

    These lego land empires
    Choking out mine now
    You're everywhere, everywhere
    Multiplying around me, child

    A strain on my heart
    This rock can't tolerate any more
    Stop this right away

    Put that down and clean this mess up
    End of conversation
    Put your back in it and
    Make it up to me now

    Baby, behave, we'll make it work
    Baby, behave, we'll make it work
    Baby, behave, we'll make it work
    Baby, behave, we'll make it work
    Baby, behave, we'll make it work
    Baby, behave, we'll make it work
    Baby, behave, we'll make it work
    Baby, behave, we'll make it work

    Whoa, oh, oh, oh
    Whoa, oh, oh, oh
    Whoa, oh, oh, oh (yeah)
    Whoa, oh, oh, oh

    You're only what you give back
    You're only what you give back
    You're only what you give back
    You're only what you give back
    You're only what you give back
    Back
    Stop this right away

    Put that down and clean this mess up
    End of conversation
    Put your back in it and
    Make it up to me now

    Stop this right away
    Put that down and clean this mess up
    End of conversation
    Put your back in it and
    And make it up to me now

    Are you with me?
    Are you with me?
    Are you with me?

    You're only what you give back
    You're only what you give back
    You're only what you give back
    You're only what you give back
    You're only what you give back
    Back

    (You're not golden
    And I'm getting tired
    Act like you own the place
    When really you've only just arrived)

Singin’ in the Rain

  • 1929

    Nacio Herb Brown & Arthur Freed

    arr. Micah Hendler for The Capital Hearings

    Micah Hendler, soloist

  • Do, do-do-do

    Do, do-do-do-do, do-do-do

    Do-do, do-do-do

    Do, do-do-do-do, do-do-do

    Do-do, do-do-do

    Do, do-do-do-do, do-do-do

    Do, do-do-do

    I'm singin' in the rain, just singin' in the rain

    What a glorious feelin', I'm happy again

    I'm laughin' at clouds so dark up above

    The sun's in my heart and I'm ready for love

    Let the stormy clouds chase everyone from the place

    Come on with the rain, I've a smile on my face

    I walk down the lane with a happy refrain

    Just singin', singin' in the rain

    Dancing in the rain

    I'm happy again

    I'm singin' and dancin' in the rain

    I'm dancin' and singin' in the rain

Le Chant

des Oyseaulx

  • c. 1528

    Clément Janequin

    Renaissance composer Clément Janequin was famous for programmatic, onomatopoeic chansons that imitated other sounds, like those of hunting, war, or in this case, Le Chant des Oyseaulx, or “the song of birds.

  • Reveillez vous, coeurs endormis
    Awake, sleepy hearts,
    Le dieu d'amour vous sonne.
    The god of love calls you.
    A ce premier jour de may,
    On this first day of May,
    Oyseaulx feront merveillez,
    The birds will work wonders,
    Pour vous mettre hors d'esmay
    To lift you from dismay,
    Destoupez vos oreilles.
    Unstop your ears.
    Et farirariron (etc…)
    And fa la la la la (etc...)
    Vous serez tous en ioye mis,
    You will all be filled with joy,
    Car la saison est bonne.
    For the season is good.
    Vous orrez, à mon advis,
    You will hear, in my advice,
    Une douce musique
    A sweet music
    Que fera le roy mauvis (le merle aussi)
    That the royal song thrush will make (the blackbird, too)
    D'une voix autentique.
    In a true voice.
    Ty, ty, pyty. (etc…)
    Ti, ti, pi-ti (etc...)
    Rire et gaudir c'est mon devis,
    Laughter and joy are my purpose,
    Chacun s'y abandonne.
    Let each abandon themselves to it.
    Rossignol du bois joli,
    Nightingale of the lovely woods,
    A qui la voix résonne,
    Whose voice resounds,
    Pour vous mettre hors d'ennui
    To deliver you from boredom,
    Vostre gorge jargonne:
    Your throat babbles away:
    Frian, frian, frian (etc…)
    Frian, frian, frian (etc...)
    Fuyez, regrets, pleurs et soucis,
    Flee, regrets, tears, and worries,
    Car la saison l'ordonne.
    For the season commands it.
    Arrière maître coucou,
    Away, master cuckoo,
    Sortez de notre chapitre.
    Depart from our gathering.
    Chacun vous donne au hibou,
    Each bids you to the owl,
    Car vous n'êtes qu'un traître.
    For you are but a traitor.
    Coucou, coucou (etc…)
    Cuckoo, cuckoo (etc...)
    Par trahison en chaque nid,
    By treachery in every nest,
    Pondez sans qu'on vous sonne.
    You lay eggs without being called.
    Reveillez vous, coeurs endormis,
    Awake, sleepy hearts,
    Le dieu d'amour vous sonne.
    The god of love calls you.

Cruel Summer/

Out of the Woods

  • 2019/
    2014

    Taylor Swift

    arr. Ramya Prabhakar for The Capital Hearings

    Ramya Prabhakar and Rachel Gonsenhauser, soloists

  • Fever dream high in the quiet of the night
    You know that I caught it
    Bad, bad boy
    Shiny toy with a price
    You know that I bought it

    Killing me slow, out the window
    I'm always waiting for you to be waiting below
    Devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes
    What doesn't kill me makes me want you more

    And it's new, the shape of your body
    It's blue, the feeling I've got
    And it's ooh, whoa, oh
    It's a cruel summer
    It's cool, that's what I tell 'em
    No rules in breakable heaven
    But ooh, whoa oh
    It's a cruel summer
    With you

    Hang your head low
    In the glow of the vending machine
    I'm not dying
    You say that we'll just screw it up in these trying times
    We're not trying

    So cut the headlights, summer's a knife
    I'm always waiting for you just to cut to the bone
    Devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes
    And if I bleed, you'll be the last to know

    Oh, it's new, the shape of your body
    It's blue, the feeling I've got
    And it's ooh, whoa, oh
    It's a cruel summer
    It's cool, that's what I tell 'em
    No rules in breakable heaven
    But ooh, whoa, oh
    It's a cruel summer
    With you

    Looking at it now
    It all seems so simple

    We were lying on your couch
    I remember
    You took a Polaroid of us
    Then discovered (Then discovered)
    The rest of the world was black and white
    But we were in screaming color
    And I remember thinking

    Are we out of the woods yet?, are we out of the woods yet?, are we out of the woods yet?, are we out of the woods?
    Are we in the clear yet?, are we in the clear yet?, are we in the clear yet?, in the clear yet, good

    Are we out of the woods yet?, are we out of the woods yet?, are we out of the woods yet?, are we out of the woods?
    Are we in the clear yet?, are we in the clear yet?, are we in the clear yet?, in the clear yet, good

    Looking at it now
    Last December (Last December)
    We were built to fall apart
    Then fall back together (Back together)
    Oh, your necklace hanging from my neck, the night we couldn't quite forget when we decided, we decided
    To move the furniture so we could dance
    Baby, like we stood a chance
    Two paper airplanes flying, flying, flying
    And I remember thinking

    Are we out of the woods yet?, are we out of the woods yet?, are we out of the woods yet?, are we out of the woods?
    Are we in the clear yet?, are we in the clear yet?, are we in the clear yet?, in the clear yet, good

    Are we out of the woods yet?, are we out of the woods yet?, are we out of the woods yet?, are we out of the woods?
    Are we in the clear yet?, are we in the clear yet?, are we in the clear yet?, in the clear yet, good

    Are out of the woods?

    Remember when you hit the brakes too soon?
    Twenty stitches in a hospital room
    When you started crying, baby I did too
    But when the sun came up I was looking at you
    Remember when we couldn't take the heat?
    I walked out, I said, "I'm setting you free"
    But the monsters turned out to be just trees
    When the sun came up you were looking at me

    You were looking at me, oh

    You were looking at me

    Are we out of the woods yet?, are we out of the woods yet?, are we out of the woods yet?, are we out of the woods?
    I remember

    Are we in the clear yet?, are we in the clear yet?, are we in the clear yet?, in the clear yet, good
    Oh, I remember

    Are we out of the woods yet?, are we out of the woods yet?, are we out of the woods yet?, are we out of the woods?
    Are we in the clear yet?, are we in the clear yet?, are we in the clear yet?, in the clear yet, good

Le Quattro

Stagioni

   (The Four Seasons)   

  • Based in Northern Virginia, The Pixel String Quartet is a vibrant ensemble comprised of four dynamic musicians - violinists Jordan Hendy and Robin Tozzie, violist Austin Simmons, and cellist Sanae Hendy. Its members are graduates of The Juilliard School and the Shepard School of Music at Rice University. With a passion for both tradition and innovation, The Pixel String Quartet looks to explore the intersection of classical and modern music.

  • 1725

    Antonio Vivaldi
    arr. Matt Naughtin

    1. "L'autunno" (Autumn): I. Allegro

    2. "L'inverno" (Winter): I. Allegro non molto

    3. "L'inverno" (Winter): II. Largo

    4. "La primavera" (Spring): I. Allegro

    5. "L'estate" (Summer): III. Presto

Intermission

Please feel free to stretch your legs during a 15-minute intermission

SPECIAL THANKS

This project was supported by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.

    1. Feeling Good (1964)

    2. Give orange me (2024)

    3. There Will Come Soft Rains (2014)

    4. Storm Warning (2011)

    5. Bijuri Chamake (c. pre-1800)

    6. Desert Song (2020)

    7. Evergreen (2017)

Feeling Good

  • 1964

    Leslie Bricusse & Anthony Newley

    arr. Jeremy Fox aft. Nina Simone

    MG Camarillo, soloist

  • Birds flying high
    You know how I feel
    Sun in the sky
    You know how I feel
    Breeze driftin' on by
    You know how I feel

    It's a new dawn
    It's a new day
    It's a new life
    For me
    And I'm feeling good
    I'm feeling good

    Fish in the sea
    You know how I feel
    River running free
    You know how I feel
    Blossom on a tree
    You know how I feel

    It's a new dawn
    It's a new day
    It's a new life
    For me
    And I'm feeling good

    Dragonfly out in the sun, you know what I mean, don't you know
    Butterflies all havin' fun, you know what I mean
    Sleep in peace when day is done, that's what I mean
    And this old world is a new world
    And a bold world
    For me
    For me

    Stars when you shine
    You know how I feel
    Scent of the pine
    You know how I feel
    Oh, freedom is mine
    And I know how I feel

    It's a new dawn
    It's a new day
    It's a new life

    It's a new dawn
    It's a new day
    It's a new life
    It's a new dawn
    It's a new day
    It's a new life
    It's a new life
    For me

    And I'm feeling good
    I'm feeling good
    I feel so good
    I feel so good

Give orange me

  • 2024 (world premiere)

    Courage Barda

    Winner of The Capital Hearings 2024 Young Composers Competition - Learn More

    From the Composer: “I learned about Neam ‘Nim’ Chimpsky a while back. He was a chimpanzee that was the subject of an animal language acquisition study at Columbia University starting in the 70s. He learned to mimic American Sign Language. While there is controversy over the legitimacy of his language abilities, he is credited with signing an impressive 16-word-long sentence: ‘Give orange me give eat orange me eat orange give me eat orange give me you.’ While its repetitive nature and poor structure perhaps makes a stronger case for the illegitimacy of his language cognition, I still recognize and appreciate how incredible it is that chimps and humans could learn to understand each other.”

  • Give orange me give eat orange me eat orange give me eat orange give me you.


    Here you are, an orange.

    Eat it up, dear Chimpsky.

    I give to you an orange.

    Eat it up, dear Chimpsky.



There Will

Come Soft Rains

  • 2014

    Connor J. Koppin, Winner of The Capital Hearings 2014 Young Composers Competition

    Setting of poem by Sara Teasdale

  • by Sara Teasdale

    There will come soft rains and the smell of the ground,
    And swallows circling with their shimmering sound;

    And frogs in the pools singing at night,
    And wild plum trees in tremulous white,

    Robins will wear their feathery fire
    Whistling their whims on a low fence-wire;

    And not one will know of the war, not one
    Will care at last when it is done.

    Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree
    If mankind perished utterly;

    And Spring herself, when she woke at dawn,
    Would scarcely know that we were gone.

Storm Warning

  • 2011

    Hunter Hayes

    arr. Andrew Ross for The Capital Hearings

    Sam Scarrow, soloist

    This country classic by Hunter Hayes tells the story of a whirlwind encounter.

  • She rolled in from the west in a summer sun dress hotter than the heat in July
    With her wind blown hair it just wasn't fair the way she was blowing my mind
    Have you ever noticed every hurricane gets it's name from a girl like this
    She's the cat fight kind keeps you up at night hanging on to the edge of a kiss
    She's a beautiful mess, yeah the kind you love to love
    But what happens next,
    I got a feeling when the sun comes up

    I'm gonna wish I had a storm warning
    I'm gonna wish I had a sign
    I'm gonna wish I had a little heads up, little leap-way, little more time
    Some kind of radar system locked in on love
    I got a feeling by the time the night finds the morning
    I'm gonna wish I had a storm warning
    I'm gonna wish I had a storm warning

    Ain't it funny how it feels when you're burning your wheels somewhere between going and gone
    You get so lost that you can't turn it off, you give in and you just turn it on
    She's a harp on a reign red lips like a flame, she's the girl from your favorite song
    What a beautiful mess,
    A one part angel, one part perfect, one part a wreck
    The kind of flood you'll never forget

    I'm gonna wish I had a storm warning
    I'm gonna wish I had a sign
    I'm gonna wish I had a little heads up, little leap-way little more time
    Some kind of radar system locked in on love
    I got a feeling by the time the night finds the morning
    I'm gonna wish I had a storm warning

    I'm gonna wish I had a storm warning
    I'm gonna wish I had a sign
    I'm gonna wish I had a little heads up, little leap-way, a little more time
    Some kind of radar system locked in on love

    I'm gonna wish I had a storm warning
    I'm gonna wish I had a sign
    I'm gonna wish I had a little heads up, little leap-way, little more time
    Some kind of radar system locked in on love
    I got a feeling by the time the night finds the morning
    I'm gonna wish I had a storm warning
    Yeah, I'm gonna wish I had a storm warning
    I'm gonna wish I had a sign
    I'm gonna wish I had a sign, or storm warning, yeah

  • c. pre-1800

    Traditional Kajari rain song / Miyan Ki Malhar raga

    arr. Ramya Prabhakar for The Capital Hearings (aft. Renuka Arun)

    Ramya Prabhakar, soloist



  • Bijuri chamake barase

    Meharva aayi badariya

    Garaj garaj mohe atahi darave


    Ghan garaje ghan damini chamake

    Papiha pihu pihu ter sunaave

    Kaah karoon kit jaaon

    Mora jiyara tarase

    The clouds came in abundance

    The thundering and thundering frighten me

    The clouds thundered and the lightning flashed

    The cuckoo is calling 'Pihu Pihu'

    What should I do, where should I go

    My heart is yearning

Bijuri Chamake

Desert Song

  • 2020

    säje

    arr. Micah Hendler for The Capital Hearings

  • I bet when you see the ocean
    You’re drawn to the strength inside the waves
    But if you get caught within the ocean
    The undertow will let you lose your way
    I bet when you reach the ocean
    Can’t wait to sink your toes into the sand
    Instead you will sink into the ocean
    And watch your heart pulled slowly from your hands
    She’s calling
    She’s calling
    She’s calling
    She’s calling
    Someday you will reach the desert
    Held by the warmth within the skies
    Breathe in the exhale of the desert
    And see yourself reflected in her eyes
    The moment you reach the desert (You realize)
    She’s been singing a song of life and love
    And to your surprise you’re singing with the desert
    You’ve always known the words to sing along
    You have a voice to share
    You're coming home where you belong
    She’s calling
    She’s calling
    She’s calling
    She’s calling
    She’s calling
    Calling
    She’s calling
    Calling
    Calling

Evergreen 

  • 2017

    Yebba

    arr. Ryan McCarty for The Capital Hearings (aft. säje)

    Rachel Gonsenhauser, soloist

    Yebba’s “Evergreen” is a heartfelt tribute to her late mother and serves as an exploration of loss, healing, and memory using natural imagery of forests and flowing waters.

  • I kiss my penny and I threw it in
    I pray I keep my soul
    Went down to the river where the water bends
    The only place I know

    Oh, I can't see
    The forest
    For the trees

    So will you wait for me
    Will you wait for me
    Will you wait for me, wait for me
    My evergreen

    Standing at the water's edge
    The Mississippi's overflowing
    Hold your current in my hands
    You bring the meaning to my moments

    Oh, I can't see
    The forest
    For the trees

    So will you wait for me
    So will you wait for me
    (Wait for me)
    Will you wait for me
    My evergreen
    My evergreen

    Oh, I can't see
    The forest
    For the trees

    Oh, I feel so
    Hopeless
    Against the stream

    So will you wait for me (will you wait for me)

    My evergreen (my evergreen
    I know it's just as hard (I know, I know)
    In heaven

    So will you wait for me
    My evergreen

    I know it's just as hard
    I know it's just as hard
    Just as hard

    I know it's just as hard
    I know it's just as hard
    I know it's just as hard
    My evergreen
    My evergreen
    My evergreen

Join us for a reception after the show!

Venue to be announced from the stage.