Songs for a World on Fire

Songs for a World on Fire consists of poetry reflecting on the destruction of the natural world. The first, Frederick Goddard Tuckerman's Sonnet XVIII. And Change, with Hurried Hand, has Swept these Scenes dwells in a state of mourning over the loss of the nature that was once wild and free, and its replacement by civilization. The piece is composed using breath for textural effects, signifying the connection between nature and life, and creating soundscapes of blowing wind, raging fire, and cracking branches. The second piece, Emily Pauline Johnson's Fire-Flowers remarks upon the ability for nature to heal and for new flowers to spring up after forest-fires, drawing a parallel to human life, that even after great suffering, there is opportunity for revival. These works were written in response to the ongoing change in the earth's climate as a result of human expansion and industry. While the first piece serves as an opportunity to lament the damage that has already been done, the second piece provides some sense of hope that the earth will be able to recover, if humanity is able to make the necessary changes to facilitate that recovery.