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Matthew Lee Knowles

I transcribed the text for this operatic monologue directly from


a YouTube video, the wonderful Blanche Lillian Morrison (1945-2018),
otherwise known as the Curtain Lady, talking passionately about curtains.
I fell in love with this woman almost ten years ago and this piece honours
her and everyone else who has been called crazy for just being themselves
and enjoying in life that which brings them joy.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3z9qrs_5b8s
(or just search CURTAIN LADY on YouTube)
Looks So Nice
Text by The Curtain Lady
Matthew Lee Knowles
April - May 2022

dedicated to Loré Lixenberg /voice (Bb3-B5) + piano / duration c. 12'

q = 140 overture
4 3
4 4

gliss
3
f rubato, warm

.
ff
4 3
4 4

q = 112
6
s.

3 5 4
s
gli

4 4 4
ff fff
mf very warm
3 5 4
4 4 4

Eb
D
Bb
veloce
9 G
D

mp mf mp mp
f

13

retenu mp f p mf
f

16
3
legato

4
p

43
2
20
4
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mf p mf
4
4

23

mp

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34

39 mf

Be cause of what I found here, don't un der stand

p mp

43 f mf ff mf
3 3

it's, num ber one I just moved to Co ven try se ven months a go, and I had

mp
ff 3
47 3

so ma ny so ma ny ma ny ma ny ma ny ma ny cur tains!

ff

51 mf 3

But you can't com pare them to, the qua li ty gor geous

mp

55 f f ad lib.
3
ff
4
cur tains, when I found this place and I came in, I can't tell you what I did hmm

3
4
f driving
3
4

58 p
3 4
mp
4 4
I had to do, the whole hou

43 44
p
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sfz sfz sfz
4 q = 130
62 ff f
5 4
ff
4 4
se! I had to, I mean some thing like this!

5 4
4 4
ff dirty and absurd
5 4
4 4

66
3 2 4
4 4 4
let yourself go!

3 2 4
4 4 4

71 q = 112
x4

mf

76
dreamy mp
mf mp mf

And the o ther ones I bought were so un be liev a bly beau ti ful,

pp

80 f
6 4
mf
4 4
beau ti ful, beau ti ful, beau ti ful, you could ne ver find these cur tains a ny

6 4
4 4
mf
6 4
4 4
retenu 5
84
4
4
where, you could ne ver, you could ne ver,

4
4
p
4
4

87 q = 100 f
5 2
4 4
ne ver that's why it's worth, I'm so glad this place ishere right a round thecor ner from where I live.

5 2
4 4
mf
5 2
4 4

89 overly excited! ff
2 4
4 4
Can't go a ny place else for cur tains ex cept this place it's un be liev-a-ble what she's got here!

2 4
4 4
f ff

24 44

93

mf p

95
5
4

5
4
6
97 mf
5 2
f p f
4 4
It's un be liev a ble, so beau ti ful look at this, talk a

5 2
4 4
mf f clunky

5 5
2
4 4

100
4
mp f mp
4
bout some thing dif fe rent, oh for the spring and sum mer,

4
4

4
4

107 q = 90
4 11
f 3 3
4 8
brigh tened up my whole house, so pret ty, mat ter of fact with my kids eve ry bo dy,

44 118
p
4 11
4 8

109 p
11 2
8 4
not o nly my kids eve ry bo dy who comes in they just can't e ven be lieve what I

11 2
8 4
pp
11 2
8 4
q = 100 stop the note whenever you like!
7
110
2
ff
4
have!

24
ff trying to get

2
inside the notes

115
4
4

4
suddenly

4
mp
4
4
3

mp
ad lib.
119 p 3 mp

That I bought these they can't be lieve it be cause, they're so pret

mf

mp mp pp
122 mp mp mf
mp

ty but I mean come on how could you not buy?


8
127 mf f
7 4
8 4
I could walk out and not buy these cur tains,

7 4
8 4
f ff
7 4
8 4
3

131 p ff
4 6
4 8
so beau ti ful they real ly real ly real ly are gor geous!

4 6
4 3
8
mp f
4 6
4 8

134
q. = 60 mf p
6
p
8
They huh be lieve me,

6
dreamy

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pp

6
8

138 mf

that's why eve ry bo dy, this is the o nly place to come for cur tains though,

mf
141 9
44
be lieve me, it's more than worth the trip,

4
4
f
4
4

143
q = 100 ff
4
p 3

4
be lieve me, a lot more, this is un be liev a ble, this pla

19

4
4
very fast grace notes
mf f

4
4
pp

147 f
6 4
4 4
ce, it is more than worth the trip to come here for cur tains.
retenu

6 4
4 4
ff
6 4
4 4

150
q = 80 f
mf

It real ly is so gor geous, it real ly is so gor geous it real ly is so gor geous gor geous,

mf
10 f
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mf

it real ly is so gor geous, it real ly is so gor geous,

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mf

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158 q = 130
f

Mat ter of fact I got to con tin ue,

ff

161 mf f
ff

yeah, why not?

pp

mp
11
163 mp mf
x4

For the, your win ter,

x4

q = 100
166 mp mf mf

I'm not put ting up my o ther ones. This is the place

3 f

169 mf mf mp molto retenu


q = 80
f

to get some thing so diff 'rent so beau ti ful, the qua li ty so gor geous for what I see

172 ff
3
4
he re though it's cra zy what she's got, it's beau ti ful,

3
4
6
f
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4
12
175 p
2
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it's beau ti fu l, that's why this is the o nly place to come for cur -

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4
pp
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4

180

tains be lieve me, the o nly thing is it's a good thing I don't work here, my pay check would be on eve ry sin gle cur -

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3 4 3
4 4 4
tain in this place, that's my pro blem, so so pret ty,

3 4 3
4 4 4
6
3 4 3
ff
4 4 4

191

43
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43
so so pret ty, so

43 44 43
3 4 3
4 4 4
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click/lip
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2
f smack

4
pret ty pret ty pret ty pret ty pret ty pret ty, look at tha t! It's un be liev a ble,

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4
mf
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4

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I picked the right ones, so pret ty so pret ty,

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200 mp
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eve ry thing that I wan ted, some thing so pret ty for the spring sum mer it's all on clear

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mp
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ff
202 q. = 80
6
8
ance!
playfully heavy

6
8
f
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jubilant!
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2 6
4 8
ff fff
2 6
4 8

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6 2 5
p f p f p f p
8 4 8
Eve ry one that I

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ff fff mf

6 2 5
8 4 8

217 ff mf
5 4
f
8 4
loved. To re do the house for the spring and sum mer,
optional vamp!

5 4
8 4 3
f
5 4
8 4

221 f

eve ry one was

fff f
15
224
6
8
on clear ance, I mean their pri ces, that's cra zy, it's un be liev a ble!

6
8

6
8

like there's a waltz going


229 q. = 50 on inside your head mf
6 mp
8
I could n't un der stand that now I could un der stand if it was not on clear

6
8
mp
6
8

234
x4

ance,

p mf
x4

237 mp lost in a reverie

optional vamp! be three times this price a ny where

p mp p mp p mp p mp
16 retenu
241 f

that you pur chased it,

p mp p f

245
mf pp

you would ne ver get these for nine nine ty nine

mf

249 mf
3
f
4
not some thing like this,

3
4

3
4

253 q = 100
3 ff
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ne ver, that is im pos si ble,

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fff
f
3 4 3
4 4 4
257
q = 90 17

3 2
4 4
ff
3 2
4 4

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ff

That's the pro blem, here with these pri ces, oh my god, as I say if you go a ny

264

place else I hate to tell you what a big mis take 'cause this is the o nly place to come for these

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gor geous gor geous cur tains for this price.

f p f p

retenu
273

f p f p f p
18
278 mf f mf f
p

You could ne ver find them a ny where that's the thing, not like o ver
bouncy!

f pp

284 f retenu
4 2
4 4
here for these pri ces ne ver, that's why I'm so glad this place o pened.

4 2
4 4
f

4 2
4 4

288
2
mf
4
I am so thank ful for this place to o pen up,
ad lib.
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4
3
mp f
2
4

293

she'd bet ter stay here too for e ver ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

mp
297
q = 80 19

4
mp mf
4
ha ha ha she bet ter, it's so beau ti ful, it real ly real ly is,

4
4
p mf p mf mp f mp f

4
4

300 mp mf

all of my kids too they want to come here

f retenu
302 ff
2 4
4 4
now. My daugh ters, course they're not kids but
it's okay if very romantic
B§ you miss
these notes! very free, warm
and slushy

2 4
5 4 4
ff

2 4
4 4

305
4
4
they're in their thir ties when they saw my cur tains now they all now they all now they all want these

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4

4
4
20 accel. q = 100
308 ff
mf

cur tains, they do, that's why I told them af ter work they've got to come here,

312 ff mf ff

on a week end to get these be fore they dis ap pe ar, be cause they are gon na go!

ff ff

317 mf ff f
mf

They are for that price, nine nine ty nine?!Come on it's cra zy

f ff f

322 f f f
mf mf mf x8-10

so beau ti ful, real ly is is so pret ty, looks so nice


take your time with these last words, make them
kind, warm and loving, all served with a huge smile

x8-10

mp

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