Overall Structure of A Moral Little Tale

Yesterday’s little exercise in vocal writing has ballooned to an ambition to set the entirety of “A Moral Little Tale” as an oratorio for small chorus, three soloists (soprano, tenor, and bass), and a few instruments. The story is just over 400 words, so it’s not that enormous a task.

The three soloists sing the roles of Narrator (soprano), Devil (Tenor), and Puritan (Bass). The text is divided into 16 numbers:

1. Narrator, E-flat major, a folk song:
There once was an earnest Puritan
who held it wrong to dance.
And for his principles he labored hard,
his was a zealous life.

2. Chorus, B-flat major, a chorale:
There loved him all of those
who hated the dance;
and those that loved the dance
respected him too.
He is a pure, good man
and acts according to his lights.

3. Narrator, E-flat major, a folk song:
He did much to discourage dancing
and helped to close
several Sunday entertainments.

4. Puritan, C minor, plain song:
Some kinds of poetry I like
but not the fanciful kind
as that might corrupt
the thoughts of the very young.

5. Narrator, G minor, a folk song:
He always dressed in black.
He was interested in morality
and was quite sincere.

6. Chorus, C minor, a chorale:
There grew to be much respect on Earth
for his honest face
and his flowing pure-white beard.

7. Narrator, G minor, a recitative:
One night the Devil appeared
unto him in a dream and said

8. Devil and Puritan, B-flat major, a duet:
[Devil] "Well done."
[Puritan] "Avaunt!"
[Devil] "No, no, friend."
[Puritan] "Dare not to call me 'friend,'"

9. Devil, D major, Da Capo Aria:
A Section:
Have you not done my work?
Have you not put apart
the couples that would dance?
Have you not checked their laughter
and their accursed mirth?
Have you not worn my livery of black?

B Section (A major):
O friend, friend, you do not know
what a detestable thing it is
to sit in hell and hear people
being happy, and singing in theatres
and singing in the fields, and whispering after dances
under the moon.

10. Puritan, B minor, plain song:
It is you that put into their hearts
the evil desire to dance;
and black is God's own livery, not yours.

11. Devil, G major modulating to B major at the end, a through-composed song:
He only made the silly colors
and useless dawns, hill-slopes facing South,
and butterflies flapping along them
as soon as the sun rose high,
and foolish maidens coming out to dance,
and the warm mad West wind,
and worst of all that pernicious influence Love.

12. Puritan, E minor, a plain song:
Blasphemy! Blasphemy! Blasphemy!

13. Devil, E major modulating to C major at the end, a through-composed song:
It's true.
It isn't I that send
the village fools muttering
and whispering two by two
in the woods when the harvest moon is high,
it's as much as I can bear
even to see them dancing.

14. Puritan and Devil, F major modulating to B-flat major, a duet:
[Puritan]
Then I have mistaken right for wrong;
but as soon as I wake I will fight you yet.

[Devil]
0, no you don't.
You don't wake up out of this sleep.

15. Narrator, E-flat major, a folk song:
Somewhere far away
Hell's black steel doors were opened,
and arm in arm those two were drawn within,
and the doors shut behind them
and still they went arm in arm,
trudging further and further,
into the deeps of Hell.

16. Chorus, E-flat major, a chorale:
It was that Puritan's punishment
to know that those that he cared for
on Earth would do evil as he had done.

The sixteen numbers fall into three parts. 1-7 provide background and introduce the Puritan and Devil. The debate between the Devil and Puritan is the middle part (numbers 8-14), which moves between less-than-closely related keys to provide a bit of dramatic tension, sort of like the development section of a sonata. The last two numbers return to the opening key of E-flat and provide the moral of the story.

The Narrator represents the populace at large, something of an Everyman while the Chorus delivers commentary, hence the chorale style. The Devil, being the bad guy, of course gets all the good solo parts; the Puritan is confined to simple, unadorned plain song.