An epic setting of James Joyce’s short story, Araby, from The Dubliners.  The recording features tenor, Joseph Demarest, and the Hartt Symphony Orchestra with Christopher Zimmerman conducting.

Instrumentation: [1111/1110/2perc-pno/strings]
(perc: glock, bd, chimes, tri, woodblk, whip, suspended cymbals and finger cymbals)

Text:

When the short days of winter came dusk fell before we had well eaten our dinners. The cold air stung us and we played till our bodies glowed.

Mangan's sister came out on the doorstep to call her brother in to his tea. She was waiting for us, her figure defined by the light from the half-opened door. Her dress swung as she moved her body and the soft rope of her hair tossed from side to side.

Every morning I lay on the floor in the front parlour watching her door. When she came out on the doorstep my heart leaped. I ran to the hall, seized my books and followed her. This happened morning after morning. I had never spoken to her, except for a few casual words, and yet her name was like a summons to all my foolish blood.??Her image accompanied me even in places the most hostile to romance. Her name sprang to my lips at moments in strange prayers and praises which I myself did not understand. My eyes were often full of tears (I could not tell why) and at times a flood from my heart seemed to pour itself out into my bosom. I thought little of the future. I did not know whether I would ever speak to her or not or, if I spoke to her, how I could tell her of my confused adoration. But my body was like a harp and her words and gestures were like fingers running upon the wires.??

At last she spoke to me. She asked me was I going to Araby. I forgot whether I answered yes or no. It would be a splendid bazaar, she said she would love to go.??"And why can't you?" I asked.??She could not go, she said, because there would be a retreat that week in her convent.

The light from the lamp opposite our door caught the white curve of her neck, lit up her hair that rested there and, falling, lit up the hand upon the railing. It fell over one side of her dress and caught the white border of a petticoat, just visible as she stood at ease.??"If I go," I said, "I will bring you something."??What innumerable follies laid waste my waking and sleeping thoughts after that evening! At night in my bedroom and by day in the classroom her image came between me and the page I strove to read. The syllables of the word Araby were called to me through the silence in which my soul luxuriated and cast an Eastern enchantment over me.

(spoken) When I came home to dinner my uncle had not yet been home. Still it was early. I sat staring at the clock for some time and. when its ticking began to irritate me, I left the room.

At nine o'clock I heard my uncle's latchkey in the door. I asked him to give me the money to go to the bazaar. He had forgotten.??"The people are in bed and after their first sleep now," ??I did not smile. ??"Can't you give him the money and let him go? You've kept him late enough as it is," my aunt said to him energetically.

I held a florin tightly in my hand as I strode down Buckingham Street. I took my seat in a third-class carriage of a deserted train. After an intolerable delay the train moved out of the station slowly.
In front of me was a large building which displayed the magical name. Fearing that the bazaar would be closed, I passed in quickly through a turnstile, handing a shilling to a weary-looking man. Nearly all the stalls were closed and the greater part of the hall was in darkness. I recognized a silence like that which pervades a church after a service. I walked into the centre of the bazaar timidly.

Remembering with difficulty why I had come I went over to one of the stalls and examined porcelain vases and flowered tea- sets.
"O, I never said such a thing!", "O, but you did!", "O, but I didn't!", "Didn't she say that?", "Yes. I heard her.", "O, there's a ... fib!"?
I lingered before her stall, though I knew my stay was useless. I turned away slowly and walked down the middle of the bazaar. I heard a voice call from one end of the gallery that the light was out. The upper part of the hall was now completely dark.??Gazing up into the darkness I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger.