The Hierophant

by Alyssa Herzinger Elliott | Lilies in the Bardo

Clips of “March of the Women” by Ethel Smyth performed by the Glasgow University Chapel Choir

ABOUT THIS PIECE

The Hierophant, a spiritual teacher leading the way out of a crumbling institution, inspires thoughts of English Suffrage leader Emmeline Pankhurst. For this piece I translated the following quote from her famous Freedom or Death speech into music using my method of musicomancy:

“No power on earth can govern a human being, however feeble, who withholds his or her consent. Human life is sacred, but we say if any life is to be sacrificed, it shall be ours; we won’t do it ourselves, but we will put the enemy in the position where they will have to choose between giving us freedom or giving us death.”

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