Earth and Sky (2000)
(for children's choir and piano (with optional percussion))

Composer's Note
Earth and Sky was commissioned by the BBC for the Proms 2000 season. In keeping with the millennial theme, a piece presenting a vision of the future was requested. Trying to be helpful, the BBC provided me with a video containing the predictions of various pundis, but heir ideas seemed dizzyngly contradictory.

Then the simple thought struck me that however varied and complex the answers, the big questions remain the same. We may now have a map of the human genome, but how should we use the map? 'How shall I know where I should go? How may I see the I that's me?'

So, a song of questions – this was the idea which I took to Vikram Seth, who had agreed to write the words for me. The resulting poem is entirely monosyllabic, enabling a variety of rhythmic treatment. I love its permutations and its imagery of paradox and inversion, and I have amused myself by playing similar games with the musical material. But there is seriousness as well as fun – the text's juxtaposition of the certainty of death and the search for meaning and purpose in life achieves great poignancy when sung by young voices.

As a musician I am hopeful that, no matter how the world develops, future generations will still come together to 'dance and sing and play'. The mysterious power of music to bind us socially and inspire us individually seems to be built into our genes.

As I write this, som twenty years after the first performance of Earth and Sky, the outlook appears bleak, as the true nature of mankind's despoliation of the planet becomes clear. Yet hope for the future comes from the children and yound people increasingly making their voices heard with their urgent questioning. Our children are closer to the earth in both time and space. Mother Earth speaks through tehm. Wie should listen.

Alec Roth, Malvern, February 2020

First performed by the Finchley Children's Music Group, Joanna MacGregor (piano) and Ensemble Bash, conducted by Nicholas Wilks, Royal Albert Hall, London, 18 July 2000

The following performance maerials are available from the publisher:
EP73535 Full score
EP73535A Vocal score
EP73535B Piano part
EP73535C Percussion parts