German Composer Gustav Mahler gave us the phrase ‘The Song of the Earth’: in 1908-9, he composed Das Lied von der Erde, a song sequence in praise of the natural world. The Mahler Foundation offers this useful summary: ‘Gustav Mahler believed that nature held the key to the profundity of life. … As he once summed it up: “One will be able to give me the title: Singer of Nature”: an artist tapping into sacred life for inspiration and insight.’ The foundation proposes that it would be an appropriate way of demonstrating an appreciation of the work to confront ‘the challenges [that] we have imposed on nature and that we must all now address – climate change, plastic waste, habitat destruction…’
It’s good to see admirers of Mahler being inspired by one of his greatest works to address the challenge of the current state of our environment. It’s also good to witness the current flourishing of what we might call Green Pop – though others may prefer Eco-Pop, Eco-Rock, etc.. Striking examples include “Sirens” by Melissa Marchese, “Atlantic” by the Weather Station, “How Far I’ll Go” by Alessia Cara, “Feels Like Summer” by Childish Gambino, “Walk With You” by Janette Kroll, and “Another World” by Antony and the Johnsons. Nor should we overlook “Love Song to the Earth”, jointly penned in 2015 by several celebrated songwriters – Natasha Bedingfield, Sean Paul, Toby Gad, John Shanks – and performed collectively by various artists.