Gargoyle 1967 For Children's Chorus

Music: David W. Maves Text: Kay Kinard Maves View Music Download Music Premiere: March 1967, Raleigh NC, in the Raleigh public school system series, conducted by the composer. This work was first published by The (now defunct) American Book Company: in their New Dimensions in Music series © 1970. This work is now available here as an Adobe PDF file. [N.B. There is a new company now which is named the American Book Company (in the Educational Instructional materials, Software etc. area) They would appreciate not being contacted about this earlier, now out of print series of textbooks for children K-12.] Program Notes: Text:

  One of the famous Gargoyles of the Cathedral of Notre Dame stands watch over the rooftops of Paris.

 

Program Notes:

This work was written primarily to be used as classroom teaching piece for grade school music classes and/or for children's choral performances although it has been performed in public by choirs at various levels including being programmed as novelty works by college choirs. It will probably be necessary for the melody to be doubled by an instrument to help with the rather difficult intervals.

Gargoyles perch by day on the rooftops,

With frozen stone smiles,

and long, lolling mouths ajar,

no movement,

no sound,

'til dark,

and then

GARGOYLE!

Zipping, slipping

thru the night air!

Laughing, leering

tearing thru the night air!

Scaring cats,

chasing bats

'til dawn.

When each one flits to his roof top,

and stares with his cold stone eyes

at the busy streets

thru the long bright day.

And knows that night will come

When

GARGOYLE!

Zipping, slipping

thru the night air!

Laughing, leering

tearing thru the night air!

Scaring cats,

chasing bats

Reeling, spinning,

shrieking, grinning,

GARGOYLE!