Mass for the Endangered: explanation

I'd blink my eyes
And wave my arms
I'd wish a wish
To stop all harm
(From If, by Michael Nyman)

The annual Earth Day on 22 April is a time to give extra thought to the well-being and state of our planet. What started in 1970 as an awareness campaign around water and air pollution in America grew into one of the largest environmental movements in the world. More than 1 billion people from some 200 countries now participate in demonstrations, projects and initiatives to help protect the earth.

As part of Earth Day, the Flemish Radio Choir will perform the recent Mass for the Endangered by American composer Sarah Kirkland Snider. Her composition is both a lament for endangered living beings and a call to action. The six parts of the mass are interspersed with short intermezzos for piano by contemporary composers such as Michael Nyman and Bryce Dessner. They offer a moment of reflection, to reflect on the way we treat our planet.