Taking Up Serpents
Music by Kamala Sankaram
Libretto by Jerre Dye
Chamber Opera in One Act
For voice and chamber orchestra
Characters
KAYLA (soprano) - a daughter of The Churh, a lost soul, a wanderer
NELDA (mezzo-soprano) - Kayla's mother, anointed, a Preacher's wife
DADDY (baritone) - Kayla's father, a Holiness Preacher, a snake handler
REBA ( mezzo-soprano) - Kayla's co-worker / PASSENGER - a young mother / HOLINESS CONGREGATION MEMBER
CUSTOMER (soprano) - Sav-Mart Customer / PASSENGER - a queer kid / HOLINESS CONGRATION MEMBER / PREACHER
YOUNG KAYLA (supernumerary) - a memory of Kayla as a child
Instrumentation
Flute/Piccolo
Oboe
Clarinet
Bassoon
French Horn
Electric Guitar/Acoustic Guitar - With volume pedal, tremolo, distortion, wah and reverb. Will also need a tuning pedal to tune to Drop D.
Percussion - Snare Drum, Bass Drum, Triangle, Glokenspiel, Large Suspended Cymbal, Whirly Tube, Crotales, Waterphone, Junk Metal (3 different pitches)
Piano
2 Violins
Viola
Cello
Bass