Earth Song was composed by Frank Ticheli, a well known composer.

Frank Ticheli was

born on January 21, 1958, and is an American born composer. Ticheli graduated high school

from L.V. Berkner High School in Richardson, Texas. He got his Bachelor of Music in

Composition from the Southern Methodist University in University Park Texas. Ticheli then

studied at the University of Michigan, where he got his Master’s and Doctorate degrees in

Composition. His works vary greatly and include songs for orchestra, concert band, chorus, and

chamber groups.

Dr Ticheli said that Earth Song is one of few works that he composed without a

commission. “Instead, it sprang out of a personal need during a time when so many in this

country, include myself, were growing disillusioned with the war in Iraq. I felt a strong impulse

to create something that would express my own personal longing for peace.”​[1]​(Ticheli) It was

that longing that he said led to the poem’s creation. For this song, He knew he had to write the

poem himself, instead of searching for someone else's poem to write with. He said that this was

because Earth Song was “not just poem, but a prayer, a plea, a wish”​[1]​(Ticheli), something he

described as an attempt to find some peace in a world that seemed infinitely focused on violence

and hatred. However, just as importantly, the poem powerful declaration of the music’s power to

heal. By the end of it, the reader or speaker of the poem is meant to discover that he is the

embodiment of hope and peace, through music. He said he believed music has the power not

only to cultivate peace, but to also “open hearts and ears in a world that desperately needs love

and listening.”​[1]​(Ticheli)

Earth Song is my favorite song Madrigals is singing for the fall showcase. I love the

meaning behind the words, and the strength provided by the swells and harmonies. My favorite
part is when the bass section splits for a harmony and then immediately after a powerful

crescendo immediately goes back to a calm quiet. I already really enjoyed singing the song, but

when I was researching the different songs I found someone else’s description of it that was so

powerfully descriptive it brought literal tears to my eyes, and that made this song stick out to me

even more. The contrasting themes between war, power and pain, versus singing, refuge, and

light, serve to really highlight a want for somewhere safe to just exist in peace, and I find that it

really sticks with me.

References

[1] Whitacre, E., Ticheli, F., Ferko, F., Banks, E., Doherty, T., Lauridsen, M., . . . Conte, D.

(2011, March). Pacific Passions: Music by West Coast Composers March 18, 19, 20 in

Campbell, San Francisco and Palo Alto Comments by the composers on their

compositions. Retrieved October 12, 2018, from

http://baychoralguild.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/March2011ComposerD

oc.pdf

[2] Johnson, C. (2012, October). Biography - Frank Ticheli. Retrieved October 12, 2018, from

https://sites.google.com/site/fticheli/services