Singing for Climate and Soils

Chorale Performance of Soil4Climate Anthem “Brand New Sky”

THETFORD, Vermont — August 1, 2016 — Highlighting the talents of the multigenerational Family Folk Chorale and the songwriting skills of Cambridge-based musician, Kevin O’Connor, Soil4Climate today released the video and choral arrangements for its anthem “Brand New Sky,” and is encouraging other musicians and choral directors to add the song to their repertoires.

On June 18, 2016, “Brand New Sky,” extolling soil as a climate solution, was first performed in a choral arrangement in front of a live audience at Piccadilly Farms in Winchester, New Hampshire.
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“Our song ‘Brand New Sky’ brings the hopeful message about soil to the climate movement,” said Seth Itzkan, co-founder of Soil4Climate and contributor to the song. He continued, “One of the lines from the song, ‘Where there was once nothing to see, now there is life all around me,’ refers to my observation of ecological restoration in Africa. When we heal the land, we heal the climate.

Chris Eastburn, who, as artistic director for the Family Folk Chorale, created the choral arrangement for “Brand New Sky,” commented, “It’s a song that’s poignant and meaningful right now especially in terms of building consciousness around climate change and looking for climate solutions… The song speaks of something very important. It’s nice to bring a whole host of voices to that from across the generations.”

Gwendolyn Atwood, a singer as well as a parent of a child singer in the Family Folk Chorale, observed, “I really loved the experience of … looking over at the kids and seeing them knowing that they’re part of something, and that their optimism and hopefulness is well placed… If we get ourselves in synchrony and harmony with each other and with all the microbiology in the soil, we can actually fly right through [global warming].”

Alison Houghton, another singer with the Family Folk Chorale, noted, “This song has a huge capacity for hope and … the lyrics are catchy. We can use more songs that bring hope into various places, and this song definitely does that.”

Cambridge-based musician Kevin O’Connor, principal song composer remarked, “It was a rewarding experience to express in music an important issue. I hope this song inspires people to take up the challenge.”
A video of the June 18th Family Folk Chorale performance
https://youtu.be/Gyiq_hRTGcs.
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A video of children from the Creative Minds after school program in White River Junction, Vermont, singing the song at an Earth Day rally
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMSeLeyPy5U.

A studio recording sung by Boston-area musician Leigh Meunier
https://soundcloud.com/soil4climate/brandnewsky-leigh-meunier-vocals.

An instrumental-only version
https://soundcloud.com/soil4climate/soil4climate-theme-instrumental-version.

Sheet Music for Choral
https://soil4climate.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/brandnewskysheetmusic.pdf

Lyrics and chords-only are available
https://soil4climate.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/brand-new-sky-lyrics-and-chords.pdf

Information on the Family Folk Chorale
http://www.familyfolkchorale.org/

Information on singer, songwriter Kevin O’Connor
http://www.kevinoconnor47.com/
And  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000477409174&fref=ts

Soil4Climate is a Vermont-based nonprofit advocating for soil as a climate solution. Information can be found at soil4climate.org. Join its Facebook group atfacebook.com/groups/soil4climate.
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