Two Chairs, One Rest

Complete score Setup Place two ordinary chairs so they face each other without making a stage. Sit in either chair. A second person may sit in the other chair, arrive later, leave early, or remain absent. Music - Key centre: G major - Meter: 4/4 - Tempo: approximately 60 quarter-note beats per minute - Notation: scientific pitch notation; C4 is middle C - Duration: eight slow bars, approximately 32 seconds before any uncounted silence | Bar | Notes | Text or action | | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | G4 whole note | Hold “Here” gently for the whole bar. | | 2 | Whole-bar rest | Listen without counting anyone missing. | | 3 | D5 half note, B4 half note | Sing “One chair.” | | 4 | Whole-bar rest | Optional second voice may hum G4 for the whole bar. Silence is equally correct. | | 5 | G4, A4, B4, D5 as quarter notes | Sing “Stay if you wish.” | | 6 | B4 quarter, A4 quarter, half-note rest | Sing “Or go,” then release the sound. | | 7 | A4, G4, E4, D4 as quarter notes | Sing “No an-swer owed.” | | 8 | Whole-bar rest | Optional quiet Dsus4 accompaniment. Do not add a concluding G chord in this version. | Optional accompaniment A single Dsus4 chord, spelled D–G–A, may begin under bar 8 and be released when the rest ends. It should not demand resolution. No accompaniment is also correct. Participation rule One person can perform the entire score alone. If a second person joins bar 4, they do not owe another note. If someone enters after the music has ended, the score does not restart unless both people want it to. A chair is not an assignment.