I’m very excited to announce that the Pacifica Singers will be performing selections from my collection of choral miniatures, “Inebriated Refrigeration Magnetics” in their fall concert this year. You may be wondering, “what on earth kind of a title is ‘Inebriated Refrigeration Magnetics’ anyway?”
Excellent question. Let me attempt to explain the whole thing.
Some years ago on a UVic Chamber Singers alumni tour across Canada, I was staying with a few of my fellow choristers at the home of a recent UVic graduate and fellow Chamber Singer alum. After having “a few” drinks, some of us were sitting on the floor of the kitchen, crafting some absolutely ridiculous poems using little fridge magnet words, and making ourselves laugh so much it hurt. One of us had the genius notion to write them down, and I later asked for a copy, as I knew I was going to set them in some way or another at some point in time. About a year later as some of us were in the early stages of creating the Vancouver Island Chamber Choir, we had a gathering of singers in a house that also had the same fridge magnet words. Since everyone was also having “a few” drinks at this social gathering, I asked people to take a moment and craft a silly poem on the fridge, having at that point decided that I was going to create a collection of short choral works using these ridiculous texts. I collected them all, and selected my favourites from both sessions of crazy alcohol-influenced silly writings, which led to a collection of 24 texts. So, because the poems were all created by (let’s face it) drunk people using fridge magnet words, I came up with the title of “Inebriated Refrigeration Magnetics.”
The collection is not yet completed, as I have only been occasionally sitting down to set a new text here and there over the years in my free time, but there are several settings done. Kevin Zakresky, Pacifica’s director, decided to ask the three of us Emerging Composer types in the choir (myself, Eileen Padgett, and Daniel Marshall) to write a new work for this upcoming season, and in the course of conversations of the theme of the programme etc. these silly choral miniatures came up and were deemed to be a good fit for the concert on October 16. This will be the first time any of these settings have been performed, and I am very excited for the choir to start working on these silly songs. I’m certain we’re all going to have a good time (even though I dislike performing my own works – I really need to get over that) and I know Pacifica and Kevin are going to do a fantastic job of it all.
Just in case you are curious, here is the list of all the texts created by the drunk people at house parties for the collection.
***Please note, if you are a member of the Grammar Police, do not read this unless you can manage to contain your frustration and rage at the absolute lack of any attempt at proper language skills and are able to see that is part of the fun of the texts.***
- I love you whether I say black heart, or a bug ugly. You, my heart, your tongue are flushed. I haven’t stained the lips, but now I’m pretty damn on.
- Darling, when this heart was the only oil of life, I knew every tomorrow I’d be kissing the reason I got a bypass.
- You tore out my heart and all my life I wouldn’t ran off with your biscuits.
- Get your buns all raised mama, Miss Nickels love the bed in the oven.
- If acting single ain’t bad, why won’t she take her flat sucker and win? Can I?
- I’m afraid I’d gone from goodbye to the windshield honeymoon; Don’t ever marry you, it’s hell.
- Bone house snowball experiment
- Hunger lingers
Like black dead ice - One wheel down
Take care of business - Psychedelics
And purple squeaky clouds - Thanks for the greasy chisel
The cat like to crunch in it - Aesthetic sculptures
Plumply indulge thirst - Autumn
One stone can’t scultpt the night - A monument saved
Nude blossom
See mushroom girl
Who is your judge
Bitter stew at all she wrote - Will on line
On a time
Nine in the day
There is no I in lining - You create the impression that’s a cheap suit model
- Don’t eat the wrong tree
Nibble a piece of cake hot - Ask the cake
Make which said
It clear as red fried clam - A gift horse
Investigate the heads up scream - Morning hunger
Breath’s approaching
We’ve got to swallow
Beer sausage bloom
Or cat bottom studio
Of evening - My soup will always be wild
- She nibbles sooth grapefruits
- Behind you a deliciously happy muffin smiles
- Milk the tuna taco
With fresh night juice