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26 Songs
From
 Finnegans Wake
Presented by
bend of bay press 
http://www.bendofbay.org  
26 Songs 
first appeared in a slightly different form in theSummer 1993 issue of
The Abiko Quarterly 
 
 
 2
 26 Songs
from
 Finnegans Wake
 
26 Songs
is a procedure for constructing songs for one to four voices from the text of 
Finnegans Wake
. Its premise is the essential musicality of the text and
26 Songs
alsoexploits the interior cross-references contained in its language. The Appendix presentsthe
First Construction
of these songs, from 1993. Songs are generated in the followingorder.
•
 
1 song for 1 voice
•
 
4 songs for 2 voices
•
 
4 songs for 3 voices
•
 
8 songs for 4 voices
•
 
4 songs for 3 voices
•
 
4 songs for 2 voices
•
 
1 song for 1 voiceThe first step is to generate a table four digit random numbers. When constructing songs,begin with the first number on your list, then proceed down the list without skipping anynumber to complete each of the following five steps:1. Select voice2. Select book 3. Select starting page in that book 4. Select starting line on that page5. Select number of lines to be sungThese steps are followed in order for each voice in each song, with each step requiringone random number. The exceptions are the songs for one voice. These frame the cyclewith the opening and closing lines of 
Finnegans Wake
. They are constructed in thefollowing manner:
Song 1
always begins at 3.1, that is, the first line of the first page of Book 1. To constructSong 1, therefore, you only need to select the voice (Step 1) and the number of lines to besung (Step 5).
Song 26 
always ends at 628.17, that is, the last line of the last page of Book IV. Toconstruct Song 26, you select the voice (step 1) and the number of lines to be sung (step5). Since you need to end at 628.17, you back up from this line to arrive at the startingpoint.For the remaining songs, Voices and Books (steps 1 and 2) are selected based on thefollowing chart. Four digit numbers are rounded to two places:
 
 3Number Voice Book 75-99 Soprano IV50-74 Alto III25-49 Tenor II00-24 Bass IThe starting page of the Book (Step 3) is determined by rounding the random number tothree digits. These three digits will direct you to the page of the Book where the startingline of the part will be selected. Note these are not the same as text pagination. Book I,for example, contains 213 pages, and begins on text page 3 of the Viking edition. If thenumber generated exceeds 213, then loop back. Thus, 223 gives you page 10 of Book I,which equates to text page 13.The starting line of the page selected (Step 4) is determined by rounding the randomnumber to two digits. Begin counting at the top of the page. If the number generatedexceeds the number of lines on the page, then loop back to line one. Footnotes count aslines.Steps 3 and 4 together have give you the starting point. The first two digits of the nextnumber generated give the number of lines to be sung by this voice (Step 5).
Vocal Ranges
: Voice indications are general. The singer determines the relevant range.
Tempo
: Each voice proceeds through the text as quickly or as slowly as desired.
 Role of the Conductor:
The conductor indicates when each song begins. The singersbegin at any time on or after the conductor’s cue. The performers are permitted to startand stop as often as they like, but they must sing the complete text without alteration.
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