2°C (2022)

for SAB trio or choir a cappella | 4:00

Commissioned by Crooked Mowth, with lyrics by Jim Henderson

Notes

Crooked Mowth is a Boston-based vocal quartet (trio at the time this piece was commissioned) composed of Haley Fisher, Jennie O’Brien, Jim Henderson, and James Gerke. Though they focus on folk/trad music, they move across genres, often with a focus on social issues. For their album New Kicks, they “decided to focus on the existential threat of our time, the climate emergency. (It’s unfortunate that there are several to choose from, though.) But at the same time, we wanted our music once again to reflect a variety of styles.”

Jim sent me this set of lyrics and asked if I could write a new song for the group. A few revisions of lyrics and music later, 2°C was born.

Text

2°C
by Jim Henderson

Our world is perfect, we used to boast:
Four seasons following their part of the plan,
But with each nor’easter that razes the coast,
The rivers flow over, the tides sweep inland.

The world is waking up and change is coming, we shout.

The climate crisis is real as rain,
A truth inconvenient for those moved by greed
Or those too ignorant to feel others' pain.
When the floods drown our cities and don’t recede.

We can’t just hide away and wait to be swept out... to sea.

The fires will keep raging out west and down under
As the world’s biggest nations are guilty of arson while plundering Mother Earth.
The heat waves will keep growing, ecosystems torn asunder—
We must halt this ongoing failure and fight for a rebirth.

We must stand for our future, we must stop this grand theft.

The fossil fuel magnates bow to their gilded shrine
And avert their eyes from temperature extremes.
Our youth remind us that all Earth’s life is intertwined—
How can they forgive us? We have stolen their dreams.

We must fight for the Earth before there’s nothing left… to see.

If the ocean currents shift, we cannot change their tack.
If the glaciers melt away, we cannot bring them back.
If the bees are not protected, we’ll have nothing left to eat.
But with a bit of humility, we can harness the sun,
We can harness the wind, we can harness the waves,
Let’s be bold, not give in to defeat.

Acknowledge reality, stop hiding behind disguises.
The time to act is now, before the thermometer rises… 2°C.

Performances and Recordings

• 2022: New Kicks (link at top, full album here)

• Sep 10, 2022: Belmont Porchfest