Easy on the Earth: Justice Choir of the Midwest Spring Concert
Easy on the Earth: Justice Choir of the Midwest Spring Concert
On Sunday, April 26, at 7pm the Justice Choir of the Midwest presents its Spring Concert at First Presbyterian Church of Davenport. Titled “Easy on the Earth,” this concert focuses on music about Environmental and Climate Justice. While there is no admission fee, this is a benefit concert for Living Lands & Waters, and a free will offering will be collected to support the vital work that organization does in the Quad Cities and Beyond.
The repertoire of this concert features excellent choral music by a diversity of living composers. The concert opens with Jake Runestad’s setting of Wendell Barry’s poignant poem “The Peace of Wild Things.” Runestad, one of the leading choral composers, has become a favorite at FPC. Jennifer Lucy Cook’s “They Are Mother” explores the nonbinary nature of Mother Earth and the Creator with pop-inspired techniques and harmonies. Namibian composer Cedrick Howoseb’s “!Garibasen” asks “Who gave us the roots and planted all the seeds?” This piece, in the Khoekhoegowab language, utilizes an indigenous southern African choral style. Katerina Gimon’s “From Scorched Earth” beautifully sets the hopeful words that poet Saphren Ma wrote after the devastating fires in British Columbia in 2017. Adam and Matthew Podd’s arrangement of Joni Mitchell’s 1970s hit “Big Yellow Taxi” is a fun yet powerful conclusion to the first part of the concert.
Dutch-Canadian composer Gerda Blok-Wilson’s haunting work “Dried Up River” captures the sounds of desolation through the full sonic capabilities of an a cappella choir. Andrew Steffen’s “How Dare You” is a potent and emotionally stirring setting of portions from climate activist Greta Thunberg’s groundbreaking speech to the United Nations in 2019, paired with words from early twentieth-century conservationist John Muir. The concert closes with an arrangement of singer/songwriter Luke Wallace’s folksong-inspired “Easy on the Earth,” a reminder that it is our job to leave behind a world fit for the next generation.
We are pleased to partner with Living Lands & Waters for this concert. Headquartered in East Moline, Living Lands & Waters is a nonprofit environmental organization that was established by Chad Pregracke in 1998. Since the organization was founded, Living Lands & Waters has grown to be the only “industrial strength” river cleanup organization like it in the world. Spending up to nine months a year living and traveling on the barge, the Living Lands & Waters crew hosts river cleanups, watershed conservation initiatives, workshops, tree plantings and other key conservation efforts. The organization’s mission is to aid in the protection, preservation, and restoration of the natural environment of our nation’s major rivers and their watersheds; to expand awareness of environmental issues and responsibility encompassing our rivers; and to create a desire and opportunity for citizens to take an active role in helping to make a cleaner river environment. A representative from Living Lands & Waters will be a guest speaker at the concert.
Inspired by a movement of similarly themed choirs across the country, the Justice Choir of the Midwest is a community ensemble of 65 adult singers from across the Quad Cities region (and beyond) with a focus on racial justice, migrant justice, LGBTQ+ equality, climate justice, voting rights, and other areas of justice that are threatened by people in power. This ensemble partners with and raises funds for community organizations, shows up at protests, and provides a safe space for people to lift their voices in advocacy for the oppressed. The Justice Choir of the Midwest is hosted at and sponsored by First Presbyterian Church of Davenport.