The Quilt - (1991)  

Gary Bachlund   

for voice and piano

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Name the names,
Remember them and pray.
And pray for the day when we
Patch the quilt with no more names.
Death has had its fun and games.
Ryan, Roger, Jesús and Ariel.
Zachary, Greg, Christina, Ann.
Name the names.
Built to catch those dying flames.
Naming saints in fabric frames.
Michael, Larry, Coreen and Jennifer.
Angelo, Dane and Ali. John.

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  This simple and rather static setting which concludes the Requiem for the Victims of AIDS is meant as a word "mandala," a meditation on names. The placement of the names in the text, from one to four syllables in length, is meant to allow other names to be substituted, should this be desired. Each of these names is drawn from individual stories, important to the families and loved ones who knew them.

 

A set of songs written originally as sketches for the Requiem is titled Songs for the Victims of AIDS, includes this simple solo song.