The Long LineThe Long Line

John Adams

I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky

Composed 1995

I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky is a 1995 "song play" with music composed by John Adams and a libretto by June Jordan.

The work is scored for three mezzo sopranos, high tenor, tenor and two baritones, accompanied by an ensemble comprising two reed players (clarinet, bass clarinet, alto saxophone), three keyboards (piano, keyboard samplers), acoustic and electric guitars, electric bass guitar (doubling on double bass) and drum set (doubling on MIDI drums).

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Movements

  1. Earthquake

Act 1

  1. No. 1 Ensemble “I was looking at the ceiling and then I saw the sky"

Act I

  1. No. 2 A Sermon on Romance
  2. No. 3 Leila’s Song of the Wise Young Women
  3. No. 4 Solo in Sunlight
  4. No. 5 ¿Donde Estàs?
  5. No. 5 Mike’s Song About Arresting a Particular Individual
  6. No. 7 Tiffany’s Solo
  7. No. 8 Song About the on Site Altercation
  8. No. 9 Song About the Bad Boys and the News
  9. No. 10 Your Honor My Client, He’s a Young Black Man
  10. No. 11 Consuelo’s Dream
  11. No. 12 Rick’s Cross‐Examination of Tiffany and Mike
  12. No. 13 Song About Law School as the Natural Follow‐Up to Jail
  13. No. 14 Leila’s Solo: Alone (Again or at Last)
  14. No. 15 Song About the Sweet Majority Population of the World

Act II

  1. Duet: Three Weeks and Still I'm Outta My Mind
  2. Earthquake Sounds
  3. Earthquake Music
  4. Crushed by the Rock I Been Standing On
  5. Duet in the Middle of Terrible Duress
  6. Dewain's Song of Liberation and Surprise
  7. Este país / This Country
  8. One Last Look at the Angel in Your Eyes
  9. Finale

Elsewhere

← All of the composer’s works