Duncan Cumming, piano

Hilary Cumming, artwork

Lucy Cumming, narrator

From Bangkok to Bangor

When Tiger and Sonny were playing one day

A Bee went buzzing by.

The Bee was Rimsky-Korsakov

And could he ever fly!

Because they missed their Mimi so

The children had a plan.

“Let’s follow the Bee to America!”

And after him they ran

From Thailand north the Bee flew fast

Past horses running free.

Over Mongolia’s steppes they went

Behind the Buzzing Bee.

A big, big city then appeared

They both exclaimed, “Look there!”

Tall buildings topped with Onion Domes

Rose nobly in Red Square.

The Bumble-Bee

(transcribed by S. Rachmaninoff)

N. Rimsky-Korsakoff (1844-1908)

Russia

“Excuse me, Rimsky-Korsakov,”

Said Tiger, “Where are we?

Have we arrived in America?”

“No, Moscow—I’m a Russian Bee!”

“You see that horse?” said Korsakov,

“He’ll take you for a ride!

You might pass a troika in the snow

Just at the eventide.”

“Tchaikovsky is the horse’s name

He knows his way around.

He’ll ride on through the day and night

Until your Mimi’s found.”

Hobbyhorse, Op. 39 No. 4

(from Children’s Album)

P. I. Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

Russia

And when they’d gone so very far

The horse could go no more.

In Hungary he set them down

And then they heard a roar!

“Bartok the Bear is my good friend,”

Tchaikovsky told the boy.

“Dance with him first and you will see

He’ll carry you with joy.”

He lifted up the boy and girl

Upon his back so strong.

Through Budapest and countryside

He danced and sang a song.

Bear Dance

(from Sonatina)

B. Bartok (1881-1945)

Hungary

The Bear grew tired and had to stop

But he didn’t let them down.

He’d carried them for many miles

Until the border town.

“My friends, here’s Janacek the Leaf

On him you now must fly.

He’ll take you high up over Prague

Now don’t be scared—please try!”

They flew up over Old Town Square,

The Golden Lane, the Clock,

The River Moldau flowing fast,

The Castle on the Rock.

A Blown Away Leaf

(from On an Overgrown Path)

L. Janacek (1854-1928)

Moravia

A border reached, another change

To Mimi’s, still their quest.

“That star called Mozart, way up high—

You follow him due West.”

And Tiger looked, and Sonny too

The children saw the star.

They heard it sing a quiet song

Although it was so far.

“That song—it certainly is one

We’ve heard before,” they said.

And then some music paper fell

And bopped them on the head.

Variation X, K. 265

(on, “Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman”)

W. A. Mozart (1756-1791)

Austria

“Composer’s block!” Star Mozart cried,

“Say children, can you sing?

My Twinkle variations need

Some help—it’s just the thing!”

“We’ll help you if we get back home;

Our cousins sing well too.

America is where they are—

We need some help from you!”

“I will help you if you’ll help me,”

The Star was heard to say.

“When you get home, look up and sing-

I’ll need you right away!”

Variation V, K. 265

(on, “Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman”)

W. A. Mozart (1756-1791)

Austria

When Beethoven the Penny passed

And kept on rolling through,

The Star said, “Go and follow him—

It’s all you have to do!”

So Starry Mozart said “Goodbye!

Now promise—don’t forget!

To sing me Twinkle with your friends

You owe me quite a debt!”

Through Germany the Penny rolled

Black Forest, dark within.

And Tiger ran, and Sonny too

Through Munich and Berlin.

Rage Over a Lost Penny

(Alla Ingharese Quasi Un Capriccio)

L. V. Beethoven (1770-1827)

Germany

And when at last the penny stopped

It toppled, landing flat

And wouldn’t budge another inch

Now what do you think of that?

Beethoven said, “But don’t give up!

Go follow Schumann—quick!

That farmer walking home from work

With a hoe for a walking stick.”

And so they chased the farmer home

Until he went no more.

“Please help us, Mr. Schumann, find

The Mimi we adore!”

The Happy Farmer Returning from Work

(from Album for the Young, Op. 68)

R. Schumann (1810-1856)

Germany

But Schumann said, “My poor sweet girl

And you, my tired friend,

Stay here and rest—the journey’s long!

The night here you can spend.”

“We must move on,” Young Tiger said,

“Although you’re very kind

Our Mimi waits, to hug and kiss

It’s her we need to find.”

“You are determined, little ones

I’ll see what I can do.

This Elephant’s called Debussy

Perhaps he can help too.”

When Debussy had heard their tale

He said that he just might

Sing them a lullaby and cross

Through Paris in the night.

The River Seine was flowing by

They passed the Eiffel Tower.

Notre Dame was very still

And silent at that hour.

Jimbo’s Lullaby

(from Children’s Corner)

C. Debussy (1862-1918)

France

While Tiger slept, and Sonny too

The beast did lumber on

To reach the beach in quaint Honfleur

To see the break of dawn.

“Go out into the deep North Sea

Ride on Satie the Wave.

In Norway you’ll find Grieg the Troll

Be patient and be brave.”

Ocean’s Bathing

(from Sports et Divertissements)

E. Satie (1866-1925)

France

And as they rode they looked around

And heard the bagpipes play

Near Aberdeen on Scotland’s coast

Just at the break of day.

“We must be near—that’s Grampie’s song!”

Said Tiger with a smile.

“America is getting close

We’ll be now just a while.”

Mairi’s Wedding

(arranged by D. Cumming)

Traditional

Scotland

But just as quickly as it came

It faded in the mist

The thistles, lochs, and bonnie banks

The sky the castles kissed.

They reached the shore of Norway then

Satie said, “See that Troll?

His name is Grieg—he is the one

To help you to your goal.”

But Grieg was sad, he shook his head

“America’s not near.

It really is impossible

To see Mimi, I fear.”

“If you had ever had her bread

You’d realize why we miss her;

We love our Mimi very much

We’d like to hug and kiss her!”

“Oh! If you love her very much

Dance Mimi’s Minuet

Your feet will gently leave the ground

And you may make it yet!”

Grandmother’s Minuet, Op. 68 No. 2

(from Lyric Pieces)

E. Grieg (1843-1907)

Norway

The ocean passed beneath their feet—

With Canada in sight,

They concentrated very hard;

They loved with all their might.

In Bangor, then, their feet touched down

There Alan, Josh, and Jack

Said, “Tiger! Sonny! Welcome!”

Em and Mairi said, “You’re back!”

“Hello!” said Tiger, “Do you know

Where Mimi is right now?”

“With Lucy Rose,” Alan replied,

“I’ll take you there—but how?”

The Rose MacDowell in a bush

Cried “I’ll show you the way!

A Rose knows where a Good Rose goes—

I’ll lead you, if I may!”

To a Wild Rose, Op. 51 No. 1

(from Woodland Sketches)

E. MacDowell (1860-1908)

America

And sure enough, a short ways on

They saw the Lucy Rose

And standing right behind her was?

Well, everybody knows.

A Mimi hug! A Mimi kiss!

Their Mimi had been found!

And muffins would be made at last—

Muffins, all around!

“But wait,” said Tiger, “I forgot

To sing for that Bright Star

The Twinkle Song—now Mozart, sir,

I wonder where you are?”

Theme, K. 265

(on “Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman”)

W. A. Mozart (1756-1791)

Austria

And when they sang, the Star appeared

And Mozart said, ”At last!

The children sang my favorite song

The music’s coming fast!”

And so he did compose that day

The ending to his piece

And if you like it, well, then thank

My nephew and my niece.

Variation XII, K. 265

(on “Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman”)

W. A. Mozart (1756-1791)

Austria