Mass for the Endangered: explanatory notes

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

The annual Earth Day on 22 April is a time to reflect more deeply on the wellbeing and state of our planet. What began in 1970 as an awareness-raising campaign about water and air pollution in America has grown into one of the largest environmental movements in the world. More than 1 billion people from some 200 countries now take part in demonstrations, projects and initiatives to help protect the Earth.

To mark Earth Day, the Flemish Radio Choir will perform the recent *Mass for the Endangered* by the American composer Sarah Kirkland Snider. Her composition serves both as a lament for endangered species and as a call to action. The six movements of the mass are interspersed with short piano interludes by contemporary composers such as Michael Nyman and Bryce Dessner. They offer a moment of reflection, prompting us to consider the way we treat our planet.