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They Can’t Put it Back: A Choral Trilogy of Appalachian Poems about Environmental Degradation
Mary E. Simmons
SSAA, a cappella
Today, May 19, is Commencement Day at Hollins University for the Class of 2021. In honor of that, I’d like to present a new work by a graduating senior music major – a set we would have sung on our spring concert and at her senior recital, had either of those two events been able to occur as usual. This work is a choral trilogy for treble voices, focusing on the environmental devastation and effects of mining in the Appalachian region. The poetry is from three Appalachian poets, and come from the anthology “Coal: A Poetry Anthology,” edited by Chris Green (2006).