Cellist Yo-Yo Ma and a small choir perform Viktor Orri Árnason’s work Earth Hymn, filmed live in the shadow of the Snæfellsnes glacier in west Iceland.
Earth Hymn is from RITUAL, a large-scale performance conceived by director Arnbjörg María Danielsen with composer Árnason and Ma, which premiered at the 2024 Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavik.
The text is by Andri Snær Magnason, with words drawn from ancient Icelandic poetry, outlining a plea to the world from the edge of a changing planet. The text in the hymn is adapted from the poem ’Völuspá’ (’The Prophecy of the Seeress’).
The video is launched alongside announcement of three new recordings from Ma, works created with Árnason, Eric Mingus and Jennifer Kreisberg as part of Our Common Nature, Ma’s four-year journey in search of music and stories that celebrate connection with the natural world.
Also released today is a new podcast series of the same name hosted by WNYC’s Ana González, which follows Ma on his journey to connect with nature across the United States. New episodes will air weekly through 19 November.
’I worry we’ve forgotten that we’re part of nature, how endlessly we are connected to one another and to the planet,’ said Ma.
’”Our Common Nature” reminds us that culture - our songs, our stories, our ways of living in balance - keeps these connections alive and can reinvigorate our love for the earth.’
Ma, who has spent most of his career indoors, says a connection to the natural world is ’what doesn’t exist in my life, that I know is missing.’
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