Julia Wolfe's unEarth

The BBC Symphony Orchestra, soprano Else Torp and choirs conducted by Martyn Brabbins in Julia Wolfe's powerful climate crisis oratorio unEarth. Plus Copland's Appalachian Spring.

Recorded at the Barbican on Friday 23rd January. Presented by Ian Skelly.

Aaron Copland: Appalachian Spring
Julia Wolfe: unEarth (UK premiere)

Else Torp (soprano)
Finchley Children’s Music Group
BBC Singers
National Youth Voices
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Martyn Brabbins (conductor)

unEarth is a large-scale oratorio about the climate crisis. Written in three movements, it combines ancient stories, languages from around the world, the poetry of Emily Dickinson, climate science and words of protest to create a moving, and urgent plea to engage the listener in the climate emergency.

American composer Julia Wolfe was awarded the 2015 Pulitzer Prize in Music, and was a 2016 MacArthur Fellow. She received the 2015 Herb Alpert Award in Music, and was named Musical America’s 2019 Composer of the Year. She is co-founder and co-artistic director of New York’s legendary music collective Bang on a Can.

And to begin, music by another American: Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring - the orchestral suite created by the composer in 1945 from the ballet he wrote for choreographer Martha Graham.

To listen on most smart speakers just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Radio 3 in Concert."