numbers 9195

for speaker and two tape recorders, flute, harp, optional woodblock
2011
Philip Venables
Text: Simon Howard
numbers 9195 was commissioned by Ensemble Adapter, Berlin,
with funds generously provided by the Bliss Trust.

University of York Music Press Ltd.

Tel: +44 1904 432 434 / E-mail: info@uymp.co.uk
Dept. of Music, University of York, York YO10 5DD, U.K.

www.philipvenables.com
ISMN M-57036-302-5

numbers 9195
Philip Venables
Text: Simon Howard
Duration c.9 minutes

numbers 9195 was commissioned by Ensemble Adapter, Berlin, to be premiered by them

at the 2011 Wien Modern Festival and then in several concerts in Prague, Istanbul, Oxford
and Berlin. Funds for the commission were generously provided by the Bliss Trust.
numbers 9195 is the first of several settings of the poems of Simon Howard, whose work
I find incredibly inspiring.
To me they are unfussy, evocative, violent and visceral.
Absolutely the qualities I look for in music.
However, this setting is more of an accompaniment: it doesnt try to mess with the
immediacy of the poem. The themes of nostalgia and forgetting in the poem are echoed by
the faint, echoing recordings of the two tape players.
PV

Performance notes
Four performers are required, or three if the woodblock is omitted.
operate the tape recorders.

The speaker should

Pauses need only be long enough for the tape player to rewind. i.e. as short and as smooth
as possible.

numbers 91-95
it was a quiet morning at the zoo
i slept on long into the afternoon
it was like the world was so young
it didnt exist
i looked good in those clothes
soon i noticed my lips were sticky with rain
i decided to love science like sex
i unlearnt numbers
i decided to spell language separately
i decided id never say

not another word

i thought they were dead & i was
i noted how the lyric i was a rip
off the moons conjunctivitis
i wrote a letter concerning this
to those whom it concerned
later i noticed my lips were no
longer sticky with rain
i kissed my mirror image
until my mirror image struck me to the ground
i forgot all forgotten names
i watched the parade of the disappeared
disappearing on tv
i slept long into the afternoon
i kept watch all night through
it was not as if zoo animals were invisible
for the sky was white as the sea
or as her throat which was
a cadmium scar popular songs nailed
to my thought like a nightdress
in a body-bag i developed a skin
rash & wings it was then
i noticed something was different
i experienced nostalgia for that different something
i noted how on still days
tall buildings shook in the storm
i could be fucked
then i couldnt the bourgeoisie
decide its ok to be fascist
i develop wings & a rash
of the skin see-through
poppies & escalators &
retail outlets the storm fell
calm i noted how on stormy days
tall buildings stood immobile
it was ok to be just be
i just sat in a chair & typed & then
i stop typing & i continued
typing & i understand why her voice
has that habitual perfume, yes

Simon Howard, 2010

Published by Red Ceilings Press
http://redceilings.blogspot.com/

Numbers 91 95
Simon HOWARD

Philip VENABLES

Flute

Like the latent tension before a storm.

q = 60

5
&4

? 45
Harp {

# J
mp p

(cue speaker/tape)

#
sim.

p dolce

DCB
Eb Fb G A#

45
/ p
3

Low Wood Block

(Optional)
2 tape recorders
(Player 1 slightly higher
volume than player 2)
(operated by Speaker)

Speaker

& #J

Fl.

? #

Tape

Spk.

RECORD

5
/4

(noise of buttons: f sempre)

5
/ 4

mp
read text slowly and clearly to bar 14

it was a quiet morning at the zoo

i slept on long into the afternoon
it was like the world was so young
it didn't exist
i looked good in those clothes
soon i noticed my lips were sticky with rain
i decided to love science like sex
i unlearnt numbers
i decided to spell language separately
i decided i'd never say

#
J

# J

#
#

Copyright University of York Music Press, Ltd., 2011

& # J

10

Fl.

Pause only as long

as tape requires
to rewind

? #

(cue woodblock)

W.B. /
p
3

pp
dolce

mf

REWIND

PLAY 1

PLAY 2

Spk.

Tape

15

Fl.

Hp.

Tape

&

sim.

REWIND

21

&

Fl.

Hp.

? b#

# # J

mp p

b#

b#

# # J
sim.

b#

p dolce

RECORD

Tape

read text slowly and clearly to bar 43

Spk.

not another word

i thought they were dead & i was
i noted how the lyric i was a rip
off the moon's conjunctivitis
i wrote a letter concerning this
to those whom it concerned
later i noticed my lips were no
longer sticky with rain
i kissed my mirror image
until my mirror image struck me to the ground

25

&

Fl.

Hp.

# #
J

? b#

W.B. /
p
3

Tape

Spk.

# # J

b#

# #
J

b#

b#

# #

#
& J

# # J

? b#

29

Fl.

Hp.

W.B. /
Tape

Spk.

b#

# #
J

#
b

b#

REWIND

Fl.

Hp.

Tape

& #

33

pp
dolce

mf

PLAY 1

PLAY 2

sim.

REWIND

41

Fl.

Hp.

&

? b

b#

b#

W.B. /

mp dolce

# # # r

mp p

sim.

# # r

b#

b#

RECORD

Tape

Spk.

mp
read text slowly and clearly to bar 72

i forgot all forgotten names

i watched the parade of the disappeared
disappearing on tv
i slept long into the afternoon
i kept watch all night through
it was not as if zoo animals were invisible
for the sky was white as sea
or as her throat which was
a cadmium scar popular songs nailed
to my thought like a nightdress

45

Fl.

Hp.

Tape
Spk.

&

? b
?
/
/

b#

# #
#

r
r

# # #

# # # r

b#

b#

b#

10
49

Fl.

&

# # # r

? b

Hp.

W.B. /
Tape

Spk.

b#

b#

# # r

b#

b#

REWIND

Fl.

Hp.

Tape

& #

53

pp
dolce

?
n
mf

PLAY 1

PLAY 2

(turn page
here during repeat)

#
sim.

42

3
8

42

3
8

42

3
8

42

Db

3
8

&

n>
>
>
F

>
61
# # #>
5
&4
A little faster

Fl.

Hp.

W.B.

fff violently

^
bbb .
5
&4 J

? 45

/ 4
5
/4

Tape

Fl.

Hp.

Spk.

&

sim.

^
^
bbb .
.
J J

^j
b#b
.

^j

^j ^j

b#b
.
.

^j ^j

b#b
.
.

fff violently

ff

STOP BOTH

ff read text to bar 103. Angry, shouting, explosive

in a body-bag i developed a skin

rash & wings it was then
i noticed something was different
i experienced nostalgia for that different something
i noted how on still days
tall buildings shook in the storm
i could be fucked
then i couldn't the bourgeoisie
decide it's ok to be fascist
i develop wings & a rash

>
> > #> n
#
#>

^
bbb .
J
&

^
.
J

11

^
^
bbb .
.
J J

64

^
.
J

5
/4

Spk.

(cue tutti)

>
> > #> n
#
#>

^j
b

b#
.

^j

^
^
bbb .
.
J J
^j ^j
b

b#
.
.

> > #>

#

#>
^
bbb .
J

n>

^
.
J

^j
b

b#
.

^j

12
67

Fl.

Hp.

W.B.

&

^
bbb .
& J
?

70

Hp.

Spk.

Hp.

^
.
J

^
^
bbb .
.
J J

^j ^j

b#b
.
.

^j ^j

b#b
.
.

&

^
bbb .
J

^j
b#b
.

^
.
J
^j

ff

^
bbb .
J
&
?

^j
b

b#
.

>
> #> #> > n
#
3
4

^
.
J

3
4

^j

^j
b

b#
.

Optional pause
for speaker to
finish, otherwise
omit pause.

3
4

3
4

pp
dolce

? 44 nw
w
? 44 w
nw

mp

3
4

3
4

G Tempo I
4
& 4 #w

^
bbb .
3
4 J

72

Fl.

>
> > #> n
#
#>

Spk.

Fl.

>
> > #> n
#
#>

44 #w

6
4 w

H A little slower
3
4 b

44 w
w

6 w
4 w

3
4

play 3 times

pp
dolce

44 w
w

mp

6
4 w
w

E# F A

3
4

13
78

Fl.

& b

pp

? #>

Hp.

pp

? o

>

W.B. /

breathy

>
#

>

>
#

sim.

>

pp

read text slowly and clearly to bar 125

like pillow talk, breathy, seductive

Spk.

of the skin see-through

poppies & escalators &
retail outlets the storm fell
calm i noted how on stormy days
tall buildings stood immobile
it was ok to be just be
i just sat in a chair & typed & then
i stop typing & i continued
typing & i understand why her voice
has that habitual perfume,

86

Fl.

&

? #

Hp.

Spk.

? o

b
>
#
o

>

b
>
#
o

>

>
#
o

>

14

& b

94

Fl.

whispered
f

Yes sss

whispered
f

? #

Hp.

? o

>
#

>

#>
#

o G#

mp

>

Yes sss

whispered
f

W.B. /

Spk.

Yes sss

Yes sss

ppp

oj

ppp

pp

whispered
f

ppp

ppp