New Music USA

Here is a synopsis of the five songs of the cycle:

1: Earth—Kirinyaga

Mixing English, Kiswahili (Kenya’s national language), and Kikuyu (Maathai’s native tongue), “Kirinyaga” explores the cultural, spiritual, and social fragmentation that followed when Christianity and colonization’s arrival in British East Africa. Voices plead for rain from Mt. Kenya (known to Kikuyus as “Kirinyaga” or “Place of Brightness”) and from God. A Kiswahili hymn is interwoven with a British propaganda film, Maathai’s own rendition of the hymn, and thoughts on how a people strayed from the earth that gave them life, and the subsequent loss of culture and animals.

2: Water—A Tree of God

“A Tree of God” uses two stories from Maathai’s life: how as a child she played in a stream that dried up when a sacred fig tree was cut down; and her sadness at the felling of a 200-year-old sapele in front of her. She recalls the water and growth cycles of the natural world and her own place within the stream of time.

3: Fire—And the Hummingbird Says

One of Maathai’s favorite stories is of a hummingbird who tries to put out a forest fire using only the water she can carry in her beak, while the larger animals mock her. This song sets Maathai’s retelling of the fable amid voices of opposition, fear, or indifference to climate change. 

4: Wind—Three Sorrows

“Three Sorrows” focuses on the burdens women carry and their struggles to confront men in power. It draws its inspiration from the sit-ins by mothers of political prisoners in Kenya that Maathai joined, as well as the misogyny she and other women undergo every day.

5: Void—Dark Matter

Maathai chose to be cremated in a coffin of hyacinth (an invasive species), papyrus, and bamboo (both renewable resources), rather than wood. “Dark Matter” explores the life-giving properties of womb-like soil and the cosmic material that is most of the known universe. Reflecting on how we as individuals, as a species, or conscious life can make a difference, “Dark Matter” rests in the ambiguities of sunyata, or “emptiness”—life from nothingness; nothingness from life.

We had a full day—eight hours!—at the Great Hall at Cooper Union yesterday recording the entire song-cycle and getting its multiple moving parts synching just right. Many thanks to the singers for their astonishing stamina and concentration, and to Tim Cramer for his considerable labors. Also thank you to Christine Sarkissian of CU for her assistance and enthusiasm for the project—and to Cece Wasserman and Panta Rhea for making it all possible. Now we move to post-production and the creation of a CD/download—and, ultimately, the concert performance. Watch this space for more in the coming weeks!

We had a wonderful in-depth rehearsal of “Kirinyaga: Song of Earth” and “Tree of God: Song of Water” on Friday July 27th. Mihoko and I were not only thrilled at how the music is shaping up but amazed at the concentration of the singers. At times, it seemed like an entire Broadway show (including thunderous dancing) appeared to be being rehearsed next door to our studio. But these guys are made of strong stuff. Looking forward to hearing “Three Sorrows of Women: Song of Wind” and “Dark Matter: Song of Void” tomorrow!

We had our first readthrough last night, and we are delighted by the commitment and enthusiasm for this piece. It was a real thrill to hear the music and words take shape—especially since it was a hot evening and time was short. We’re also delighted to say we received a grant from the New York Foundation for the Arts for HUMMINGBIRD, so it’s gratitude and appreciation all round. Here is a photo from the evening.  

Mihoko and I (Martin) are pleased to announce that we have a recording date for all five of the songs in the cycle: “Kirinyaga: Song of Earth,” “A Tree of God: Song of Water,” “Three Sorrows: Song of Wind,” “And the Hummingbird Says. . .: Song of Fire,” and “Dark Matter: Song of Void.” The recording will take place in August in the Great Hall of Cooper Union, and we’re very grateful to Christine Sarkissian and CU for allowing us to use a space that is so metaphorically and literally resonant. It was in the Great Hall, in March 2005, that Wangari Maathai gave her first talk in New York City after she’d been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

We’re also delighted to announce four new singers that will be bringing this cycle to life: Elaine Lachica (soprano), Hai-Ting Chinn (mezzo), Michael Steinberger (tenor), and Steven Moore (baritone). You can read their bios by clicking on the links on the New Music USA HUMMINGBIRD page. We couldn’t have asked for more accomplished musicians, and we’re thrilled they agreed to participate. We’re scheduled to meet for a readthrough of the cycle on July 10th, and rehearsals will begin shortly thereafter.
  
The recording of HUMMINGBIRD will be closed-door, and we will have CDs and downloads available for purchase in October. However, we know that nothing beats a live performance. Thanks to a grant from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, we have been able to schedule a performance. AND THE HUMMINGBIRD SAYS . . . will receive its world premiere as part of an arts and culture festival in New York City on ​Saturday ​October 21st, at Symphony Space. Details and how to order tickets will be provided to you here and elsewhere online over the next several weeks. So, watch this space, and please invite anyone you think might be interested to follow us here.​

We again want to thank New Music USA and our wonderful sponsor Cece Wasserman for their support and patience (!) as this project has grown and matured. It is now about to bear fruit.

First of all, thank you so much to New Music USA for the grant—and more importantly, the confidence that you’ve shown in Mihoko’s and my vision. Secondly, we’re delighted to announce that because of an additional grant from the Panta Rhea Foundation, we’re now in a position to record the entire five-song cycle, which we plan to do by February 2017. In addition to printing CDs preordered through a crowdfunding campaign, our aim is to top the project off with a concert, tentatively scheduled for March 2017.

We’ll be sure to keep you up to date as the sonic texture of the cycle develops, and let you know about opportunities to purchase the CD or download the music and buy tickets for the concert.