A New Eaarth: Music for Spring

2024 marks the 101st anniversary of the Phil. Starting our second century, we felt it was time to look ahead, to leave Mozart and Brahms on pause, and focus on more current issues and music. Like many people on this planet, Phil singers care deeply about what is happening to our environment. We decided to choose this as the theme for a concert and went in search of repertoire.

Choral Suite from A New Eaarth, written by the masterful New York composer Robert Paterson in 2012, is the central work of the concert. Paterson writes: “Although I have lived in cities most of my life, I do not think of myself as a city person. Many of my works are inspired by nature, and I am deeply concerned about environmental issues, particularly climate change.”

“Of the many excellent books on the environment, one of the best and the one that moves me most is Eaarth by Bill McKibben, a famed author, educator and environmentalist. McKibben’s assertion is that we have waited too long and that massive climate change is not only unavoidable, but already underway. He states that we may as well call this new planet Eaarth, because it is still recognizable, but fundamentally different. I feel strongly that he is correct and wanted to express this in a musical way.”

In thinking about this concert, we wanted to bring environmental concerns down to a local level. We chose to explore the themes of prairie, water and boreal forest. A New Eaarth is structured in four movements with texts by James Joyce, William Wordsworth, Wendell Berry and Percy Bysshe Shelley. By allusion, they link well with these themes.

We contacted the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), a major global environmental agency located right here in Winnipeg. The IISD embraced our idea and have located three expert guests to speak briefly during the concert. Both Dr. Richard Grosshans and Dr. Michael Paterson are scientists at IISD (see bios). Laura Horton, whose Anishinaabe name is Gini’w’ikwe, is a Dene Anishinaabe Elder and Knowledge Keeper of Water from Rainy River First Nations. We feel privileged to have such committed, knowledgeable people as part of our concert.

The IISD has also created displays that have been put up in the hall behind the Sanctuary in the Crescent Arts Centre. Please visit them before or after the concert and talk to the IISD staff, scientists and Knowledge Keeper Horton.

In researching repertoire for this concert, we realized that most of the songs on the topic of the environment have not been arranged for choral performance. This led us to the idea of inviting the Chisholm Trio to join us. This also fit with our idea that the music should be more relaxed and relatable - a mix of classical, contemporary choral and folk genres.

With so many interesting elements, we felt the need to have a guide to frame the concert and take you through the sequence of music, themes and talks. We are honoured to have local activist Dr. Peter Denton, who has been writing and teaching about ecological justice for nearly 40 years as our concert host.

Apart from Choral Suite from A New Eaarth, much of the music on the program is well-known. There are three newer choral works that merit more comment.

Canadian Cree composer Andrew Balfour wrote Anang at the time his wife was dying of cancer. He writes: “Anang is dedicated to my wonderful wife, who told me about the Indigenous understanding of the Star People, who are among us, representing where we all came from: the Universe and the stars. Only some can see them – among them, little children who attract the Star people as the little ones have just emerged from the unknown. Star people are also attracted to shells, which is why you might see shells in some Indigenous ceremonies.”

Fire Flowers is the second part of a work called Songs for a World on Fire by Oregon-based composer Duncan Tuomi. In contrast to the harsh sorrow of the first section, Tuomi uses poetry by Vancouver’s famous Indigenous poet Pauline Johnson to remark upon the ability for nature to heal, drawing a parallel to human life, that even after great suffering, there is an opportunity for revival. Tuomi writes: “These works were written in response to the ongoing change in the earth's climate as a result of human expansion and industry. While the first piece serves as an opportunity to lament the damage that has already been done, the second piece provides some sense of hope that the earth will be able to recover, if humanity is able to make the necessary changes to facilitate that recovery.”

Both the music and lyrics of The Soul of a Tree were written by Connecticut composer, conductor and pianist Amy Bernon. The text speaks of ancient trees that represent longevity, wisdom, and steadfastness in our ever-changing world. The flowing piano accompaniment frames the choral lines that move with shimmering melodies and harmonies.

So there you have it…. We trust you will feel our intense love of nature and the worry and sorrow, but also the hope in our hearts as we think about, and live in, a new eaarth.