Artists
Musicians featured in this piece are:
Douglas Perry – tenor vocals
Philip Glass Ensemble – performance
Michael Riesman – conductor
Music by Philip Glass, lyrics by David Byrne. Produced by Kurt Munkacsi, recorded at The Living Room, New York, and The Complex, Los Angeles, 1985–86. Released as the fifth track on Songs from Liquid Days (CBS Records, 1986).
“Open the Kingdom” is the second half of David Byrne’s contribution to the album, a companion piece to the earlier “Liquid Days (Part One).” Where the first part features the close harmonies of the folk trio The Roches, this second setting brings in tenor Douglas Perry — the same singer who originated the role of Gandhi in Glass’s opera Satyagraha — giving the piece a more classically operatic character.
Philip Glass – Open the Kingdom Lyrics
Days of fishes
Distant roar
Turning to speak
Turning to hear
Turning to speak
Turning to hear
Open the kingdom
Open the kingdom
Open the kingdom
Open the kingdom
Open the kingdom
Open the kingdom
Open the kingdom
Open the kingdom
In my way
In my way
Being most uncertain
And this remains
Still for better
Birds of voices
The field of living
I am asking
I am asking
I am asking
In my way
In my way
Being most uncertain
And this remains
Still for better
Birds of voices
The field of living
I am asking
I am asking
I am asking
Open the kingdom
Open the kingdom
Open the kingdom
Open the kingdom
Open the kingdom (open the kingdom)
Open the kingdom (open the kingdom)
Open the kingdom (open the kingdom)
Open the kingdom (open the kingdom)
Open the kingdom
Open the kingdom
Open the kingdom
Open the kingdom
Open the kingdom (open the kingdom)
Open the kingdom (open the kingdom)
Open the kingdom (open the kingdom)
Open the kingdom (open the kingdom)
Returning love
Returning with love
Then it was
Written with love
Returning love
Returning with love
Then it was
Written with love
To listen to other songs from the Teleskop 14 program and the full program, click here.