The aim of Place of Worship, which is for 3 performers on one vibraphone, is to imitate the experience of having to share a religious space with other people. We go to crowded sanctuaries to try and find our personal truths. You can be surrounded by people you love, but spirituality is an individual journey, one that can be done in parallel to others, but not together. Performer 1 should stand in front of the natural tone bars in the usual position. They are to play their part with a violin bow in each hand, gliding them across the bottom edge of the keys close to their torso. Dynamics and exact tempo are left to the performer, but they should wait for performer 3 (the person on their left) to play their part uninterrupted for 20-30 seconds before beginning to play. Each note should be played for more or less the same amount of time, although there is plenty of room for fluctuation. Performer 1 is welcome to overlap notes (start playing a second note while still playing another), but a clear break should be heard between phrases. Dynamics, crescendi, and descrescendi are merely suggestions; performer 1 is free to play as they see fit. This part is from the chant “Alleluia: Pascha nostrum” found in the Worcester Cathedral manuscripts, (GB-WO (Worcester) F 160, Pal. mus. XII, 7). It is a chant about rejoicing and praising Christ. Performer 2 should stand above the accidental tone bars (on the opposite of the vibraphone and facing performer 1). They should play with standard mallets. They should wait for performer 1 to play their part for 30-60 seconds before beginning to play their part. This part was inspired by a series of paintings by Agnes Martin called “With My Back to the World”. Performer 3 should stand to the left of the vibraphone by the low notes. They are to begin the piece and play solo for 30-60 seconds until performer 2 starts to play.
