Out of Nowhere

Sop + pno, 4' (2018)

I came across this text in an anthology, Women in Praise of the Sacred, and was struck by how much it said in so few words. This stanza is a section of a longer ‘song’ attributed to Chinese poet Tzu-Yeh.

Tzu-Yeh, also known as ‘Lady Night’ or ‘Lady Midnight’ was a poet and courtesan during the Chin dynasty, around the fourth century BC. Her poems and songs are sharp, passionate, and often flirtatious. However, we know very little about her and cannot be certain of the authorship of all of her attributed works. Therefore, she will always remain something of a mystery. 

Written for Jillian Bain Christie.

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