22 Threads of Fate

for Flute and English Horn

Law Koon Him

Life, is nothing but one thread;

fate, is nothing but countless links.
Embrace it, if you believe;
reweave it, if you doubt.
Power exist only when you have the will;
constraints unbound only when you seek for solitude.

Index
The Tarot Major Arcana
I

Magician

XII

Hanged Man

II

High Priestess

XIII

Death

III

Empress

XIV

Temperance

IV

Emperor

XV

Devil

Hierophant

XVI

Tower

VI

Lovers

XVII

Star

VII

Chariot

XVIII

Moon

VIII

Strength

XIX

Sun

IX

Hermit

XX

Judgement

Wheel of Fortune

XXI

World

XI

Justice

Fool

The Celtic Cross Spread

Card 1: The present
Card 2: The challenge
Card 3: The past
Card 4: The future
Card 5: Above
Card 6: Below
Card 7: Advice
Card 8: External influences
Card 9: Hopes and/or fears
Card 10: Outcome

Rules and Flows in performance

22 Threads of Fate is separated into two parts: The Deck and The Fate.
The setting is prioritize in presenting the ideas of intercrossing and interfering
of fates and the best clarity for the instrumentalists. Generally speaking, this piece
alternate between The Deck and The Fate in performance.
For instrumentalist: (1) Wait until the signal from the tarot reader after he/she shuffle the tarot
deck. Then begin this piece from The Deck

(2) when it is completed, switch and continues in The Fate without

pausing or ritard, there will be 2 tags indicating which number you
should play, if there is only one, turn the page after playing the first one,
there will be special tags for the 7th and the 10th card, be cautious and
follow the indications on the tags as stated below, points will be given on
the tag so that it is not necessary in memorizing what to do for each tag
** The 7th card tag: There will only be one tag, repeat the phrase once.
Ignore all dynamic signs and play from pianissimo and cresendo to
fortissimo though-out
** The 10th card tag: There will only be one tag, flute play it once in
solo, and then English Horn play once in solo. Ignore all dynamic signs
and rhythms, play as senza misura, as expressive and soft as possible.
For English Horn, it is best end the phrase with a ritard since it is the end of
the piece

(3) When the 2 tagged parts in The Fate is finished, switch back to
The Deck, the parts played in The Fate will be missing in The Deck,
ignore the missing spaces and continue though-out like one complete piece,
repeat switching until the tag of 10th card is given, the piece ends here
In order to avoid confusion, instrument players should only focus on the performance, switching
of scores and tags that will appears on the score. The preparations, tagging, and flows will be
managed by the tarot reader.

Rules and Flows in performance

For tarot reader:

For preparations, please cut the score The Deck following the dotted
lines and reform the score by sticking the fragments on a card board with
blu-tack or anything similar that can make the fragments removable
(1) Shuffle the tarot deck, and spread the cards on a table in fan shape
(2) Signal the instrument players to begin
(3) Draw two cards and memorize the card numbers, place them in Celtic
Cross order as figured
(4) Stick the tags to the corresponding numbers in The Fate and
remember to flip the score back to the first page if necessary
(5) Remove the corresponding numbered parts in The Deck after the
instrument players finished playing The Deck
(6) Repeat from (3) to (5) until the end, be cautious for the 7th card(4th time
in drawing cards) and the 10th card(6th time in drawing cards) drawn, as
indicated below
**The 7th card(4th time in drawing cards): Draw only one card and stick
the tag The 7th card... on The Fate in the corresponding number,
remove only one corresponding section from The Deck afterwards
**The 10th card(6th time in drawing cards): Draw only one card and
stick the tag The 10th card... on The Fate, removing of section
from The Deck is not necessary since the piece ends here

For clarity and back-up, a list of the flow can be used during performance, it is attached in this
score. However it is extremely important for the tarot reader to be concentrated during the whole
performance, and to remember in drawing one card only for the 7th and the 10th card.

Setting of the Performance

Audience

Score
The Fate

Score
The Fate

Table
Tarot Reader
m
~1

(Standing)

Flute
(Sitting)

Score
The Deck

~1
m

English Horn
(Sitting)

* The music stands should be tilted at an angle that is suitable

for both the tarot reader in modifying the score and the
performers in reading the score

Indications
&

&

Blowing through the instrument to create a breath tone without a definite pitch
(for English Horn, hold the instrument like flute and blow through the first open hole)

. #. #.

j j

&

i
&

Breath tone with slightly audible pitch as notated

Key clicks
(Either the suggested fingering can be used,
or any fingerings that can produce clearly audible sound)

Trill of the notated note and the note one letter name above,
with flat/natural/sharp as indicated above the trill

j
b .

VIII

Portamento(pitch bending) with the control of embrochure only

An indication of the number of the corresponding card that the pharse is representing

22 Threads of Fate - The Deck

Law Koon Him

Largo q. = c.a. 42 (e = 126)

Flute

English Horn

9 >
b
& 8 .

9 .
& 8

- - -

&b
F
f

Fl.

E. Hn.

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n b.
J
f

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VI

III

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II

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b
VII

IV
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s

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>
j
b

Portamento with lip

VIII

22 Threads of Fate - The Deck

IX

&b

Fl.

E. Hn.

&

&b

Fl.

subito

E. Hn.

13

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X
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XIII

XIV

XI
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Key clicks

Key clicks

> b >

> b > b >

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f
.

XII

# > > > # > a > # # # >

b
.
s

f
XV

XVI

22 Threads of Fate - The Deck

>
b
&
.
s

17

Fl.

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&

# # #.

p F

Eb - Fb

&b

20

Fl.

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espress.

XX

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f

i
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XIX

XVIII

XVII

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.
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F

E b - Fn

- b -

- b -

- J
XXI

b J

.
F
0

. .

22 Threads of Fate - The Fate

Law Koon Him

>
& b 98 .

s
f P
I
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.
9

b
English Horn
& 8

f
.

Fl.
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Flute

II

E. Hn.

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III
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IV
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V
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VI
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Largo q. = c.a. 42 (e = 126)

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22 Threads of Fate - The Fate

Fl.

VII
E. Hn.

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b
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Portamento with lip >

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b
b

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n.
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# #

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p

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Portamento with lip

Fl.

VIII
E. Hn.

Fl.

XI
E. Hn.

Fl.

X
E. Hn.

Fl.

XI
E. Hn.

Fl.

XII
E. Hn.

>
b
&
.

#
&

Key clicks

.
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f
p
#
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Key clicks

Fl.

XIII
E. Hn.

Fl.

XIV
E. Hn.

Fl.

XV
E. Hn.

Fl.

XVI
E. Hn.

Fl.

XVII
E. Hn.

Fl.

XVIII
E. Hn.

22 Threads of Fate - The Fate

. . b .
. .
.
.
&b
subito p
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..
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&

subito p
& b .
P
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Key clicks
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XIX
E. Hn.

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f
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. . . . . . . .
Fl.

E. Hn.

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. . . . . . . . b >

# # # .
#

22 Threads of Fate - The Fate

.
# . . . # .

. . .
.
.

# # # #

#
.
3

E b - F b E b - Fn

Fl.

&b

XX
E. Hn.

Fl.

XXI
E. Hn.

Fl.

0
E. Hn.

&

.
. . .
. # . # . . . . . # n . # . . . . . # .
. . . J
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n - .

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n.

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.

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.

Checklist for Tarot Reader

1.

Shuffle the deck and spread it

2.

Signal the players

3.

Draw 2 cards, place them in order

4.

Stick tags to The Fate(Turn it back to the 1st page)

5.

Remove the parts in The Deck

6.

Repeat from 3.

**Remember to draw 1 card and

give 1 tag for 7th and 10th

cut/fold here
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