The Cage

I’m working on several version of this art song by Charles Ives called The Cage from 1906. I would be very interested to collaborate with a vocalist (the flute line or an octave below) - and the vocal style doesn’t have to be operatic - probably better if it was not actually. I plan to take this to jazz and electronic at the least.

Here are the lyrics

A leopard went around his cage
from one side back to the other side;
he stopped only when the keeper came around with meat;
A boy who had been there three hours
began to wonder, “Is life anything like that?”

For example of a straight classical rendering is below.

Thank you for your consideration.

Chris