Earth, Mother: I. Inundation

Commissioned in 2023 for the University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club conducted Dr. Mark Stover in anticipation of their tour to Argentina, Brazil, and Peru, “Earth, Mother” is a setting of an original text by Sherry Blevins in a humble effort to elevate demands of South American youth climate activists. Blevins’s words are, in part, informed by the following remarks:

“Committing to include youth participation in a binding way is not a favor, but a responsibility, and it’s urgent that the authorities making the decisions understand this.”
—Benjamín Carvajal Ponce, 26, Chilean activist

“Droughts, wildfires, and heatwaves. This cocktail awaits us summer after summer with the escalation of climate change, resulting in nothing more than intensification of all the social and economic problems Argentina is suffering.”
—Bruno Rodríguez, 22, Argentine activist

“We’re fighting for our Mother Earth because the fight for Mother Earth is the mother of all fights. We’re fighting for our sacred lands, but we are being pursued and threatened just for protecting our own territory.”
—Artemisa Xakriabá, 22, Indigenous Brazilian activist

“Earth, Mother” was composed in two movements and may be programmed as one work without pause or excerpted as two independent pieces for separate performances. Although it sung in English, this work prominently features traditional Latin American percussion. See below for details on the notation and the performance techniques of the percussion parts as well as possible instrument substitutions.

The first movement, “Inundation,” strives to express the threat of catastrophic flooding and the urgency to push for climate action. Sung in long, legato phrases that begin isolated and then converge in a unified message, “Inundation” foreshadows the chaos of excessive rains and overflowing tides. The cajón sustains the pulse in a rhythm common with the traditional Peruvian marinera dance. Additional textures introduced by shakers—the chajchas and the cabasa—conjure sounds of storms and rushing water. The singers’ final outcry, uttered by activists from the United States and South America alike, “Water is life,” emphasizes the reality that the survival of humanity is inextricably tied to the global climate crisis.

Performed in succession, “Wildfire” instantly contrasts “Inundation” with short, repetitive phrases sung in heavy tones. While the emergence of a flood is gradual and confounding, the urgency of a wildfire is readily palpable and violent. The Argentine bombo legüero provides a rhythmic bass, referencing the carnavalito dance, as the frictions of the güiro and the whips of clapping blocks resemble dry snaps of crackling wood. Following a high charged moment sung a cappella, this dynamic work culminates with an accelerando into a shout in unison: “Mother Earth! Hear our cries!” Perhaps abrupt, its conclusion reflects how suddenly wildfires can impact humanity for multiple generations.

-Mari Esabel Valverde