The Earth Says
Including the Northern California premiere of
Sacred Place by Alex Berko
Supported by a grant from Creative Sonoma
Directed by Sarah Saulsbury Dupre
three concerts
Tickets $30
Children 12 and under free
Occidental Center for the Arts
3850 Doris Murphy Court, Occidental, CA
Faith Lutheran Church
4930 Newanga Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA
Occidental Center for the Arts
3850 Doris Murphy Court, Occidental, CA
Acorn MusEcology Project
proudly presents
The Earth Says, a poignant program of compelling and uplifting music that will include a Northern California premiere of "Sacred Place" by contemporary composer Alex Berko. This stellar work offers an immersive exploration of ecological spirituality set to the words of Wendell Berry, John Muir, William Stafford, and Rabindranath Tagore.
Acorn's 27-member vocal ensemble, directed by Sarah Dupre, will be joined by violin, cello, and piano to offer up this song cycle of reverential texts within a richly-layered soundscape. The program will also include works by Moira Smiley, and by Acorn composers Sarah Dupre, Robin Eschner, Solange Guillaume, and Chris Smith. These selections include a setting of poetry by the late Steve Fowler, co-founder of the Sebastopol Peace Garden, soil ecologist, and community builder, and songs to usher listeners into the mysteries of human composting, metal detecting, and mud pies.
With our signature approach to melding rich vocal harmony with the values of deep ecology, this concert will invite reflection on our place and purpose on the Earth, and on the wild intelligence speaking to us from beneath our feet.
“The earth says have a place; be what that place requires; hear the sound the birds imply and see as deep as ridges go behind each other... Listening, I think that’s what the earth says.”