Contorted Ropes 1

String quartet + voice / duration 9'

dedicated to Rylan Gleave
Matthew Lee Knowles
September - November 2021
the speaker's instructions
q = 100 are suggestions and do not
have to be followed religiously
spoken, with gravitas and profundity, like a

4
newsreader/politician, clearly enunciated

4
mf
VOICE
Ou r thoughts are not us. Ou r thoughts are not us.

4
VN I 4
f f mf f mp
4
VN II 4
f f mf f mp
4
VLA 4
f f mf f mp
4
VC 4
f f mf f mp

f mf f
17

Ou r thoughts are not us. Ou r thoughts are not us.

mf f mf ff

mf f mf ff

mf f mf ff

mf f mf ff
fp ff
2 as if speaking to and pointing at
33 a single person in front of you
mf

Your thoughts are not you. Your thoughts are not you.

mf f mf f mf f mf f mf f mf f mf f mf f

mf

mf ff mf ff

mf ff mf ff

41

Your thoughts are not you. Your thoughts are not you.

mf f mf f mf f mf f mf f mf f mf f mf f

mf ff mf ff

mf ff mf ff
 as if gradually realising the truth of what
you're saying, anew in each phrase
mp f mp f mp f 3
49

My thoughts are not me. My thoughts are not me. My thoughts are not me.

mp f mp f mp f

mp f mp f mp f

mp f mp f mp f

mp f mp f mp f

61
becoming increasingly impassioned x4
f

These thoughts do not de fine us. These thoughts do not de fine us. These thoughts do not de fine us. These thoughts do not de fine us.

ff

ff
4 stern, focused, trying to
65 hold yourself together
mp

We are not, we are not, we are not our thoughts. We are not, we are not,

p f p f p f p f p f p f p ff p f p f p f p f

p f p f p f p f p f p f p ff p f p f p f p f

f f p f p

f f p f p

71

we are not, our thoughts. We are not, We are not, We are not our thoughts.

p f p f p ff p f p f p f p

p f p f p ff p f p f p f p

f p f p f p f p f p f p f p f p

f p f p f p f p f p f p f p f p
 powerful anger, yet visibly restrained, 5
77 you haven't let go completely yet
f

We are not our thoughts, we are not our thoughts, we are not our thoughts, we are not our thoughts. You are

p f p f p f p ff f

p f p f p f p ff f

coloured
notes
p f p f p f p ff are f
pizzicato

p f p f p f p ff
f

83

not your thoughts. You, you are, you are not, you are not your thoughts. You, you are, you are not your thoughts.

ff fff

ff fff
6 trying to convince your demons, you might start to
93 become very breathy and lose control of your hands
f

You, you are, you are not, you are not your thoughts. I am not my thoughts.
3 3

f ff f
3 3

ff
f

ffff f

f
ffff

102 3

I am not my thoughts. I am not my thoughts. I am not my, I am not my thoughts. I am not my thoughts.

3 3 3 3

f ff f f ff f
3 3
3 3

ff ff
f f
 almost shouting, don't blink during this section 7
112 3 3 3
f

I am not, I am not, I am not my thoughts. I am not my thoughts. These thoughts do not de fine us. These thoughts do not de fine us.
3 3

f ff f mf
3
3

ff mf
f

fp fp

mf

119 3 3

These thoughts do not de fine us. These thoughts do not de fine us.

mp f

f p f

p f mp f mp f mf

f mp mf
mf f
 shouting of varying intensities,
8
125 x4 ff
bar 127 may be out of time on the repeats
5

Our thoughts are not us. Your thoughts are not you. My thoughts are not me.

fff f 3

ff f p ff p ff p

3 3 3 3

mp f pp f pp f pp f
f

f p mp f ff p ff p ff p

131
x4
These thoughts do not de fine us. Our thoughts are not us. Your thoughts are not you. My thoughts are not me. These thoughts do not de fine us.

mf f

ff p ff p ff p ff p mf f

pp f pp f pp f pp f pp f

ff p ff p ff p ff p ff p
 screaming, letting everything go, 9
136 the notated rhythms are suggestive only
fff

THESE THOUGHTS DO NOT DE FINE US! THESE THOUGHTS DO NOT DE FINE US! THESE THOUGHTS DO NOT DE FINE US! THESE THOUGHTS DO NOT DE FINE US!

ff

ff

ff

ff

140
x2
THESE THOUGHTS DO NOT DE FINE US! THESE THOUGHTS DO NOT DE FINE US! THESE THOUGHTS DO NOT DE FINE US! THESE THOUGHTS DO NOT DE FINE US!