In admiration of our Planet’s Abundance

Mother Nature’s got some ideas for you…

… so get ready to immerse yourself in these pieces and sing her praises! Categories of Sublime Beauty, Humility, and Advocacy feature options as wildly abundant and interconnected as the Earth Goddess herself.

Lose yourself in these works that celebrate the divine gifts nature shares with us. Sometimes we simply need to look closer, listen up, and allow ourselves to feel the abundance present in our lives.

They Are Mother
SATB div. choir, SA solo group, & Piano
Also for SSAA
They Are Mother captures the nonbinary and nonsingular mystery and grandeur of the divine creating force: Mother Nature. This piece features a blend of traditional choral vocal technique and elements of modern pop singing and will highlight creative soloists in the ensemble.

For the Beauty of the Earth
TTBB, a cappella
Also for SSAA
For the wonder of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon, and stars of light…
– Folliott S. Pierpoint

Orchard in Bloom
SATB a cappella with Viola
The viola sets the bucolic scene with its gently buzzing open strings, interspersed with bird calls. The choir sings the text with illustrations – murmuring bees, bird song, quasi-overtone singing, glissandi, wind sounds.

From Wilderness: A Meditation on the Pacific Crest Trail
SATB, Soloists, Crystal Singing Bowls & Cello
Savor this concert-length work, and ground yourself in a meditation on the transformative experience of traveling the Pacific Crest Trail.

This list spans awe to humor, with reminders to count our blessings, take moments to ponder the big stuff, and even a tongue twister to keep us humble.

Whether the Weather
SAB & piano
“Living in Texas has been an adventure. I have experienced sunny days, hot days, snow, rain for days. I’ve seen flooded streets, and very dry lands. It is too cold or it is too hot. I wanted to put these thoughts into music, and went looking for a tongue twister right away. When I asked around, Annie Blancken told me this tongue twister without hesitating, and I fell in love with it. It was perfect!” – Carlos Cordero

Breathe
SAB & Piano
“Breathe is a meditation on places and things in nature that bring me peace and reminds me of my humanity, reminds me to breathe.”

– Ella Latta Suazo

The Star
Flexible Voice & Piano
But, oh, when He had hung a star Above a blue, blue hill, I think God in His ecstasy Was startled . . . and was still.

– Beatrice Redpath

Earth Blessing
SATB & Piano
Also for SSAA
May all those who try to conquer earth’s powers learn instead from compost and humus and take from them humility, knowing any force conquered is lost forever to the conqueror.

– Jack Manno; adapt. JDM

These pieces encourage us to circle up, take lessons from Mother Nature, and show up boldly to shape a vibrant future.

“De Colores”
3-part mixed choir with opt. guitar
Many people know De Colores as a children’s song about the beauty of nature and color, but the song goes beyond that. This “Canción de la Causa” was the anthem sung to close out union meetings of the United Farm Workers Movement, led by Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta in California during the 1960’s and 1970’s. People stood with arms crossed, reaching to the right and to the left to hold hands with someone else, and shouted “¡Sí Se Puede!” (Yes, we can!)

“Unsung”
SATB (div) with Cello & Percussion
Also for SSAA
This concert-length work is a great fit for program on themes of nature, the environment, advocacy, and more.

“We Are a Circle”
SAA a cappella & Percussion
In earth and nature-based spiritual traditions such as Native American and contemporary Wicca, honoring the directions or “casting” a circle is an important opening ritual.

“How To Sing Like a Planet”
SATB & Piano
Also for TBB
A genre-defying “instruction manual,” as whimsical and varied as the singing planet which inspired it.