Earthrise Cover Image

Earthrise: ChoralWorks(Secular)

$63.00 USD
$63.00 USD
Skip to product information
Earthrise Cover Image
Earthrise: ChoralWorks(Secular)

Earthrise: ChoralWorks(Secular)

Version for SATB Choir, Semi-chorus and Piano (4 hands) with optional Percussion

By Alec Roth

Item: 98-EP73224F
$63.00
Shipped

One moment…

Related Items

Earthrise: Choral Works (inc. Oratorios)

$32.00
View

Earthrise: ChoralWorks(Secular)

$31.95
View

Earthrise: Mixed Ensemble

$102.00
View
Description

Alec Roth's Earthrise is a 25-minute work inspired by the famous image of Earth taken in 1968 during NASA's Apollo 8 mission and its influence on the nascent environmental movement. This version is for SATB choir, semi-chorus and piano (4 hands) with optional percussion.

Isaiah's evocation of a God's-eye view of the Earth, together with visionary words from other sources, forms the text for Earthrise, which is sung in Latin. The original 40-part version of Earthrise was commissioned by Ex Cathedra on the occasion of its 40th anniversary in 2009. The first performance was given by Ex Cathedra, directed by Jeffrey Skidmore, at Birmingham Town Hall on 31 January 2010.

The first performance of this version of Earthrise was given by the Dartington International Summer School Choir and singers from Ex Cathedra (semi-chorus), with Joanna MacGregor and Gavin Roberts (piano duet), conducted by Jeffrey Skidmore, in the Great Hall, Dartington, on 7 August 2015.

This is the full score of the SATB choir, semi-chorus and piano (4 hands) version (EP73224f). The vocal score (EP73224), piano (4 hands) part (EP73224b) and optional percussion part (EP73224g) are available to purchase separately.



This product is Printed on Demand and may take several weeks to fulfill. Please order from your favorite retailer.

Earthrise: ChoralWorks(Secular) isn't in MakeMusic Cloud just yet...but it could be. Let us know you'd like to see it, and you'll help shape what comes next. In the meantime, start a free trial and dive into thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.

Request This Title

Tell us you want it.

Start Your Free Trial

Explore everything that's ready to play right now.
Sample Pages

Sample Audio
No sample audio found.
Sample Video
No sample videos found.
Additional Details
Series: Edition Peters
Publisher: Edition Peters
Page Count: 68
ISBN10: 0-57-702174-5
ISBN13: 979-0-57-702174-4
SKU: 98-EP73224F

More about this title

About the Composer: Alec Roth

Alec Roth stands among Britain's most prolific choral composers, with a catalog that spans sacred and secular works across forces from small ensembles to large orchestral settings. His music draws on literary texts with intellectual rigor, often pairing complex harmonic language with accessible vocal writing that challenges singers without alienating audiences.

Roth's long association with conductor Jeffrey Skidmore and the ensemble Ex Cathedra has shaped much of his output for voices. His work demonstrates a deep engagement with text, evident in how he layers meaning across multiple vocal lines and creates sonic architecture that reflects the conceptual weight of his chosen words.

Why we love this

Earthrise captures a pivotal moment in human consciousness through choral writing that feels both contemporary and timeless. The work's construction around Isaiah's visionary language and the Apollo 8 photograph creates a program that resonates in our current moment, while Roth's harmonic language and architectural sense keep the 25 minutes engaging without ever becoming decorative.

What to expect

Earthrise unfolds like a meditation transformed into sound. Moments of luminous simplicity alternate with richly layered passages where the full choir and semi-chorus create intricate textural tapestries, all anchored by the piano's reflective commentary. The work carries the weight of its subject without becoming ponderous, instead achieving a quality of spiritual contemplation grounded in concrete imagery.

Who it's for

Advanced community and university choirs, professional vocal ensembles, and programs seeking substantial repertoire that engages both musicians and audiences with thematic depth. Ensembles comfortable with 25-minute works and having access to strong pianists will find this project rewarding.

How to get the most out of it

  • Balance the semi-chorus carefully; this group functions as a distinct textural layer rather than simply doubling the full choir, so clear acoustical separation between the two will enhance the work's dramatic arc.
  • Rehearse the piano 4-hands part as an integrated unit before bringing in singers. The pianists' independence and rhythmic flexibility directly shape how the choir can breathe and phrase.
  • Sing the Latin text with natural vowel sounds and avoid over-pronouncing consonants that can muddy the harmonic language. Roth's vertical sonorities depend on vowel clarity.

How to use it

Consider Earthrise as a centerpiece for a concert exploring environmental themes, scientific wonder, or the intersection of visual art and music. This work also serves as a natural anchor for a longer program mixing choral and instrumental repertoire, where its substantial architecture prevents the concert from fragmenting into disconnected shorter pieces.

Skills your students will build

  • Latin diction and vowel consistency across sustained harmonic passages
  • Reading and sustaining complex harmonic material in four independent vocal lines
  • Balancing semi-chorus texture against full choir without losing individual voice clarity
  • Responding to piano 4-hands accompaniment as a collaborative partner rather than background support
  • Interpreting sectional formal structures and maintaining musical continuity across a 25-minute work

You May Also Like