| Scholarship, scientific research and artistic reflection show that many of society's actions are destructive to life on earth as we know it. In his book, The Dream of the Earth, Thomas Berry wrote, “The Great Work now…is to carry out the transition from a period of human devastation of the earth to a period when humans would be present to the planet in a mutually beneficial manner.” Earth Mass is part of this Great Work—an attempt to create a true “ Eco-Spiritual” Christian worship service that works in harmony with poets and artists to help bring about personal change.; Earth Mass is written for four solo vocalists, chorus, solo wind instruments (flute, oboe and clarinet), piano, two percussionists and solo strings (violin, viola, cello, bass). The music itself is over thirty-five minutes in duration. A full Eucharist service incorporating this music is approximately ninety minutes in duration.; The musical influences are many and varied, but combine to make a coherent expression over the eight movements of Earth Mass. In addition to influences from traditional Western art music, there are also rhythms and percussion techniques from traditional cultures of every continent. The melody lines combine European chant with Balinese gamelan modes, and the harmonic language is derived from popular and jazz musics.; Deviations from the form of the traditional Christian mass were necessary for philosophical and liturgical reasons. In order to express an egalitarian worldview of the relationships of humans to themselves and their environments, hierarchical texts have not been used. The Earth Mass includes alternative versions of the traditional Ordinary of the Mass, and musical settings of texts appropriate for certain proper occasions. The texts for Earth Mass were written primarily by the composer himself, or in conjunction with other liturgists. Notable exceptions include the use of existing texts by Sister Miriam Therese Winters and the United Nations Environmental Sabbath Program. |
