Moon Child

composer's note

The conception of Moon Child, commissioned by the SWR Vokalensemble, was shaped decisively by the fact that it was intended to be performed in a program alongside the „Berliner Requiem“ by Kurt Weill. Centered on a male choir, Weill’s work turns its gaze toward destruction and death, while Moon Child is oriented toward renewal and birth.

The structure of Moon Child follows a clear pattern, A–B–A–B–A–coda, derived from the poem itself. On the textual level, the onomatopoeia-inflected A sections circle around the beginning of life, celebrating becoming human as a process of creative organization. By contrast, the B sections are devoted to chance. Material generated through chance operations is condensed, forming a counterpoint to the playful character of the A sections. In this way, both are given space: the planned and the accidental. The women’s choir functions as a single, fluctuating being – an organism that changes its sonic shape across three cyclical trajectories. Into this shifting fabric, the children’s choir (in performances without children’s choir: the three soloists) repeatedly sings the same melodic incantation of “be, become, becoming.” The constantly transforming sound environment casts these clear, simple vocal lines in a new light each time. Between the vocal passages, the composition opens into instrumental interludes – moments in which perception shifts away from the semantic and towards sound itself.

Moon Child is not only about renewal as a natural process; it is also a personal reflection on hope – on the quiet persistence of becoming.

Anne-May Krüger and Mike Svoboda, February 2026

Instrumentation

Bass Clarinet in Bb (also Clarinet in Eb)
Contrabass Clarinet in Bb (also Clarinet in Bb)
Soprano Saxophone in Bb
Alt Saxophone in Eb (also Sopranino Saxophone in Eb)
2 Trumpets in Bb
each with Wawa (aka Harmon with stem), Harmon (aka Harmon or Wawa without stem), Straight, Cup, Pixie, and Plunger mutes
2 Trombones
each with Wawa (aka Harmon with stem), Harmon (aka Harmon or Wawa without stem), Straight, Pixie, and Plunger mutes
E-Guitar
with Volume, and Wawa Pedals, Whammy Bar, Bottle Neck, light brush, and effects: reverb, and others ad lib.
Fender Rhodes Piano 73 Key (or digital simulation and Master Keyboard)
with Sustain, Volume, and Wawa Effect Pedals

Children’s Choir (optional)

Treble Choir: Soprano, Mezzo-soprano, Alto

Performance Notes

Children’s Choir
Although the children’s choir is an essential element in the conception of the composition, it may be omitted since the material is also sung by the soloists.

Three Soloist
From within the choir, three soloist come forth for several passages. In the passage from bar 131 to 156, the soloist hold urns from with audio track is heard. The lids of the urns are opened (o) and closed (+) in the notated rhythm, filtering the audio.

Technic
In bars 131 to 156 an audio track is heard from Bluetooth speakers placed in three urns. The track can be played from any Bluetooth capable device, but a small mixer is recommended for balance.

Prerecorded Audio
The audio track is a mix of the music the children’s choir sings in bars 290 to 308.