where you go (2015) 8'

program note

where you go is a rewriting of what I remember as my favorite part of the biblical Book of Ruth, the famous lines where Ruth tells Naomi that she will stay with her forever. I say ‘what I remember’ because in my memory the book is a beautiful statement of love, friendship and devotion, from one person to another. I always forget that the book is mostly a series of legal arguments, about how someone claims land, or an inheritance, or a wife, or a family. Ruth’s simple desire to follow her heart sets in motion an examination of a complicated chain of interlocking obligations and overlapping responsibilities. That pretty much describes my piece as well.

— David Lang

Libretto

where you go
where you stay
where you live
where you die

don’t make me leave you
don’t make me turn away from you
don’t make me go

where you go I will go
where you stay I will stay
where you live I will live
where you die I will die

don’t make me leave you
I will never leave you
don’t make me turn away from you
I will never turn away from you
don’t make me go
I will never go