Music 2026
Songs:
- Burning Down the House
- Dies Irae Verdi Requiem
- Better Days- Bird Talker
- Carry On- Crosby Stills & Nash
- Kyiv- Alina Pash (For the Opening Ceremony & Burn Night Procession)
- Make it Happen (Children’s Choir)
All Practice tracks and Sheet music can be downloaded from Drop Box. Click here to go to the site.
Opener: Burning Down the House
Beloved Playa Choir,
If you are a Stephen Colbert fan, you may have been watching the last few episodes up until they were dropped obviously due to financial reasons.
When David Byrne performed his 80’s classic Burnin’ Down The House on the show towards the end, I knew that would be our opening song. And it’s true, right? There is no going back. The house is indeed on fire.
This service begins here: in the flames, in the crux, in the center of the ‘Bowtie’ (more on this coming)
We decide the outcome. We dream and manifest what we want to come out of the house that is burning. We are the reconstruction, the architects, the builders.
And we give choice to our congregants, we give voice, and we give power.
No more whining. No more crying about what we thought the dream was.
We are the transition. We decide the outcome.
So then, what will we build? How big can we collectively dream and manifest?
More to come,
Enjoy this edm-based version of David Byrne’s Burnin’ Down The House.
There could be solos in “You might get what your after’ sections, so if that is your jam, go for it.
Maria, there is a Theramin part for you!
More to come,
Love,
Your nutcase director,
Madi
Verdi’s Dies Irae from the Requiem
Beloved Playa Choir,
So, as many of you know, for the last 4 years, we’ve collaborated with the BRP to offer the only choral/orchestral experience on playa.
This year, we will take on Verdi’s Dies Irae from the Requiem.
We’ve actually incorporated this selection into our service, not as an add on, but as a critical junction in our storyline.
For any recovering christians/catholics out there, the Dies Irae may trigger emotions that may have caused you to seek recovery from dogma in the first place.
Literally, this is about the day of judgment, post burn, where ashes lie in ruin:
The day of wrath, that day
Will dissolve the world in ashes
As foretold by David and the Sibyl!
How great the tremors there will be,
when the judge comes,
investigating everything strictly!
I mean, ya know, this text really allows me to sleep well at night and just feel held in the arms of the divine. You too?
All sarcasm aside, poetically, this fits right after Burnin’ Down The House.
There is great prophecy in this text-The Sibyls were oracles. In B.C times, gods sought out The Sybil’s sort of like we seek out hints from the universe through astrology or tarot. They also told the gods about the coming birth of Christ.
So…how do we work this into the service…?
Well, the how, who, what is the mystery, yet to be known. As we look to audition speakers, maybe YOU will be the deliverer the words to tie it all together.
As far as this piece, it fits perfectly in the center of the bowtie. This is destruction. This is where synthesis happens. This is the burn pile that we will travel by to our sunrise service. It’s the remnants of ego, pride, lust, greed, separateness. With that gone, dissolved into ashes, what now?
In this time, when we thought our Constitution was indestructible, when we thought rain and snow would always fill our aquifers, when brazen corruption happens in full sunlight, and we struggle with the ashes as it’s all burning down…what can we offer to the other end of the bowtie? What do we do, how do we adapt in ways that are creative, beautiful, exceptional?
How do we explode with the hope of all living things on the other side of this?
Madi, you keep mentioning this bowtie thingy. What’s up?
Well, in some ways, our whole existence on this planet is ruled by order, chaos, better order. Movies, music, stories all have a build up, climax, happy ending. (Ha ha) Sex, same thing…
Somehow this process of existence is built into our dna but also into the order of all life.
Purple Sunshine shared this concept with me, as one of her clients shared it with her. As all things playa-dipity, it found its way to my ears at exactly the right moment for it to become alive in our service. More on this as we get crafty with a pure explanation. But look for a bowtie for your outfit, any color/style will do!
Tech notes:
So, in the DB folder, you’ll find the score and practice tracks, purchased just for you.
There are splits in each SATB part. I suggest this for distribution as you wonder what part you should sing: split the alphabet in half A-M, N-Z
Divide 1, 2 by your last name alphabetically. So if your last name begins w/ A-M, sing SATB 1. If your last name begins with N-Z, sing SATB 2.
Please stop at the double bar, right before the Tuba Mirum. We are NOT doing the second movement. BUT will are crafting an ending, hold tight, it may add literally 2 bars, then a repeat to the beginning. Just double checking with our new conductor. Regardless, will WILL sing up to the double bar, m. 91.
Have fun learning your part!! Keep your soft palette expanded, soft relaxed seated tongue and lots of engaged core as you sing. No tension in neck, shoulders or jaw!
I also suggest practicing chromatic scales along side this to help with overall intonation.
More to come,
Love,
M
Better Days- Bird Talker
Closer: Carry On
Beloved choir…
Rejoice, rejoice!! we have no choice, but to Carry On….!
Love is coming, love is coming, love is coming to us all…..!!
I mean, could a closing lyric get any better than this?
And the original already comes with some crushing harmonies…!
And that acoustic guitar part? W/ the driving bass, and the time change that gets 70’s rock funky?
Between this, the house version of Burning Down the House, the Verdi and the much awaited balm of Danny’s version of Better Days….?
Damn. I think our spectrum is vast the journey is wide. What a trip we will take us all on!
I suggest learning the note parts from the midi and then adding it to the original. There’s pretty much nothing new, it’s mostly a transcription of the recording, except for
the bass part, which I made up here and there, just for you, basses.
No need for any alterations, (except I omitted the last verse in the second section as it didn’t really fit) this song is already crushing and thanks Stephen Stills for your brilliance!
Have fun w/ this one!