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Little Questions - (1992)
Gary Bachlund
for medium voice and piano
"Who will raise my children?"
That's what she asked.
"Will I be remembered after I'm gone?"
"Can you stop the sickness?"
That's what she prayed.
"When?"Copyright © 1992 by Gary Bachlund All international rights reserved.
[ 1 page, circa 1' 15" ]
These little questions were taken from various news interviews of mothers with HIV-AIDS contemplating their deaths, and did not find their way into the text for the Requiem for the Victims of AIDS (1991).
In 2006, CNN International broadcast a piece titled "The End of AIDS," a remarkably optimistic yet irresponsible title, given that a true cure for this epidemic has yet to be found as of this writing. Their guests said the same things which have been said over the last decades, politicized, generalized and without real answers to a real problem. The answer to "Who will raise my children?" does not come from the news media's "talking heads" nor from government programs. Neither are these other questions herein answered by such things. After the scourge of HIV-AIDS is conquered, there will be other diseases, and the same questions posed in other circumstances and for other similar needs. The answer comes, as always, from firm reliance on family, good friends, and on God.
Written for a very limited vocal range, this song setting is utterly simple yet difficult. Rubati per the expressive wishes of performers is recommended. Such a short song as this is fully reproduced below. Of course, such "little" questions are enormous.
The score for Little Questions is available as a free PDF download, though any major commercial performance or recording of the work is prohibited without prior arrangement with the composer. Click on the graphic below for this piano-vocal score.
