Choral settings by BARNEY JONES: the first is performed by BIG MOUTH: Joan Ellis, Pat Farrell, Kim Fowler, Barney Jones, Michael Peppe, Mark Summers, & Dyana Vukovic. BIG MOUTH, alas, no longer exists, but Barney still composes, as we hear in RHYMES WITH NUCULAR.

Prior to BIG MOUTH, Barney had accepted a commission to compose a tune to serenade an International Symposium of Particle Physicists at Stanford University. G. P. Skratz provided the text, & Candace Natvig’s Music in the Blood choir (which included most of the folks who went on to sing as Big Mouth) provided the serenadors.

from:
MIRROR IMAGES: GHAZALS OF GHALIB
3 / THE NECESSITIES
(translated from the 19th century Urdu of Ghalib by G. P. Skratz, music by Barney Jones)

In the various colors of tulip, sweetbrier & rose,
in each one, surrender to spring as needed.

We learn art to paint the moon in the faces
of beautiful women we meet as needed.

What kind of scoundrel drinks for fun?
Take shots of amnesia, day & night, only as needed.

Bend your head to the jug, a pillow as needed, in the time we forget.
In the hour of prayer, keep the head faced as needed.

So no matter what seems to pour from the cup,
it's himself the sage drinks as needed.

Words & music © 2001 by Barney Jones & G. P. Skratz

Hear this piece performed (from the CD, Mirror Images):

RHYMES WITH "NUCULAR"
(words by G. P. Skratz; music composed & performed by Barney Jones)

o our schools are vermicular;
our atmosphere's vehicular,
but here's where we're still stellular:
our muscular, nucular bomb.

our diplomacy is jocular;
the economy's somnambular,
but one thing's spectacular:
our muscular, nucular bomb.

yes the empire's crepuscular,
but we've still got our popular--
as they say in the vernacular--
our muscular, nucular bomb:

Words & music © 2004 by Barney Jones & G. P. Skratz

Hear this piece performed:

QUARK BALLAD
(words by G. P. Skratz; music by Barney Jones; performed by Music In the Blood)

Electrons run and positrons
run side by side in streams
and part to turn back face to face
and mate to smithereens.

Voyeurs we be, we who intrude,
but who would turn away?
The stuff that started all of us
begins again today.

O, fin! again the old quarks wake:
a Tau appears to tease.
The bottom’s up & Top’s unseen:
a Graviton would please.

What functions clearly here is Charmed;
what’s decadent is Strange.
But Charm’s the shadow of the Top’s
unknown olympic range.

The revolution Gluons bring
the Gluons bring to us
when Top’s unfound, beyond the clouds,
& mystery brings new dust.

Voyeurs we be, we who intrude,
but who would turn away?
The stuff that started all of us
begins again today.

Words & music © 1992 by Barney Jones & G. P. Skratz

Hear the Studio recording:

Hear it recorded Live at Stanford:

ARUNDO the contemporary poetry & music page

SMOOTH TOAD twisted roots & cast-iron croonin'

CLASSIC SMOOTH TOAD ancient roots & cast-iron croonin'

G.P. SKRATZ his library & family album

BIG MOUTH choral settings by Barney Jones

HAL ("EDDIE") DINSRATZ in which we mix & match traditions

THE STORE buy our stuff or hire us

HOMAGE the Arundo Salon salutes past masters

LINKS in which we visit our pals out there in cyberspace