[Intro: fire crackling, distant wind, single bone rattle, no melody yet] [Female whisper, extremely close and breathy] The grain is cut The field lies bare The last light dies They know the way [One enormous frame drum strike] [Low male voices enter as barely audible chest drones] [Verse 1: lone female voice, slow ceremonial melody, sparse frame drum beneath her] Bar the door Then leave one chair Set one bowl beside the flame Lay the bread And pour the cup Speak softly now Speak every name [Male voices, low whispered response] Every name [Female] No foot has crossed the threshold yet No hand has touched the latch But something standing past the fire Has heard us calling back [Build: skin drums establish a slow heartbeat pulse, tagelharpa drone enters] [Female invocation] One night [Deep male response] One night [Female] One fire [Male response, louder] One fire [Female] One road between us [Male voices] OPEN [Chorus: pounding frame drums, female lead soaring above deep male ceremonial chant] The veil is thin tonight Keep the old fire burning The veil is thin tonight They have begun returning Leave a place beside your own Leave the doorway free Tonight the ones we buried Come home to eat with me [Male chant, rhythmic and heavy] COME HOME COME HOME [Female sustained wordless vocal rises above the chant] [Percussion Break: stomping feet, bone clacks, rattles and increasingly heavy skin drums] [Verse 2: female vocal lower and more intimate, male throat drones underneath] No bell rang No gate swung wide No trumpet called them near The dog looked up The candle bent And someone entered here Grandmother's cup My father's chair The coat he used to wear Nothing moved And still I know He found his place in there [Male voices quietly repeat] He found his place [Female, almost whispered] We did not light these fires To keep the dead away [Drums stop] We lit them... So they could find the way [One huge drum strike] [Chorus: larger than before, layered male voices and pounding ceremonial drums] THE VEIL IS THIN TONIGHT [Female lead] Keep the old fire burning [Male voices] THE VEIL IS THIN TONIGHT [Female] They have begun returning [Full ensemble] Leave a place beside your own Leave the doorway free Tonight the ones we buried Come home to eat with me [Male chant] COME HOME COME HOME COME HOME [Bridge: percussion drops to heartbeat drum, female voice completely exposed] [Female] Do not ask What crossed the field Do not turn To see If someone calls With a voice you loved Let them come to thee [Deep male throat singing slowly rises] [Female] Blood remembers [Male response] WE REMEMBER [Female] Bone remembers [Male response, louder] WE REMEMBER [Female] Fire remembers [Male response] WE REMEMBER [Female, powerful sustained call] Then let them through [Final Ritual: all percussion erupts, stomping feet, horns, rattles, huge communal male chant] [Male voices] OPEN THE WAY [Female] The harvest ends [Male voices] OPEN THE WAY [Female] The old year dies [Male voices] OPEN THE WAY [Female] The fire burns [Male voices] OPEN THE WAY [Female] And death walks home tonight [Massive final chorus: female soprano soaring above overwhelming male ritual voices] THE VEIL IS THIN TONIGHT KEEP THE OLD FIRE BURNING THE VEIL IS THIN TONIGHT THE DEAD ARE NOW RETURNING LEAVE A PLACE BESIDE YOUR OWN LEAVE THE DOORWAY FREE TONIGHT THE ONES WE BURIED COME HOME TO EAT WITH ME [Male voices accelerate into pounding repeated chant] COME HOME COME HOME COME HOME COME HOME [Female wordless ceremonial wail above the chant] [Male voices] COME HOME COME HOME COME HOME [Hard cut: every instrument and voice stops instantly] [Only fire crackling] [Long silence] [Female whisper, extremely close] Welcome home.
