Listen: on our site, PRX, Mixcloud — complete track list

This week on Earth Eclectic Radio Hour, host Bart Everson presents “Planetary Poetry: Earth Speaks Through Verse,” a journey through music that finds its genesis in the poetic tradition. The expedition begins with Yo-Yo Ma’s powerful collaboration on “Earth Hymn,” drawing from ancient Icelandic poetry to create a contemporary plea from a changing planet. Brandon Wint’s “Conflation” and The Quarantettes’ musical setting of Helene Johnson’s “Metamorphism” remind us how poetry transforms our relationship with Earth’s elements. Maz McNamara’s “Sea Pan” continues this oceanic theme before Bob Ambrose Jr. transports us to Earth’s fiery beginnings with “The Hadean Creation Spell.” Stick in the Wheel re-imagines “The Cuckoo” as something beyond pastoral folk, while Laura McCarthy incorporates Keats’ timeless words into “Shadow in the Field.” Walt Whitman’s “Miracles” appears as a spoken interlude, bridging to our second set featuring Rachel Curtin’s brief but potent bird and Earth songs. Jasmine Stuverud’s “Dancing with Creator” acknowledges how her songs belong to nature itself, while Sun and Moon Dance offers a wordless “Prayer to the Eternal Blue Sky”—a reminder that sometimes ecological reverence transcends language entirely. Casey Ní Bhreathnach’s “Be Quick to Slow Down” and Bone Poets Orchestra’s “Pleasure of the Sky” precede the 1957 space-age classic “Na-Wa-Da-Ha,” drawn from Longfellow’s “Song of Hiawatha.” The journey concludes with John Trudell’s “Song of the Trees / Warm Springs Honoring”—grounding our poetic exploration in indigenous wisdom that has always recognized Earth as the original poet, humans merely her translators.

Contest: We’re looking for new releases that lift up ecological consciousness. Specifically, with support from the Gaian Way, we plan to give an award to recognize outstanding ecospiritual music released in 2024, 2025, or 2026. Re-releases, remasters, and remixes are welcome, and self-nominations are encouraged. Nominations must be submitted by Earth Day, and we plan to announce the award on World Environment Day. The prize includes a cash award of $1,000. Visit the nomination form to make your submission.