Twin Compasses by Kevin Joest

Twin Compasses is a lullaby for soprano and vibraphone. The text is an abridgment of John Donne’s (1572-1631) poem “A Valediction Forbidding Mourning.” The poem talks about how, when good men pass away, they do not really die, because they live on in the hearts of those who love them. Therefore, two people who love each other very much not only can never really be apart, but guide each other, like the two feet of a geometrical compass, making perfect musical circles, both in form and in verse. The piece is intended to show my loved one that she will always have someone there to guide her, comfort her, and, when she feels insignificant, to justify her existence.