Acorn MusEcology Project is proud to present the Northern California premiere of Alex Berko's Sacred Place, an immersive exploration of ecological spirituality set to the words of Wendell Berry, John Muir, William Stafford, and Rabindranath Tagore. Acorn's 27-voice ensemble will be joined by violin, cello, and piano to offer up this song cycle of reverential texts within a richly-layered soundscape. Additional original music by co-directors Sarah Dupre and Robin Eschner includes a new setting of poetry by the late Steve Fowler, co-founder of the Sebastopol Peace Garden, soil ecologist, and community builder. Acorn composer Chris Smith will usher listeners into the alchemical mysteries of human composting. Joni Mitchell, Moira Smiley, and other master songsmiths round out the program. With Acorn's signature approach to melding rich vocal harmony with the values of deep ecology, this concert will invite reflection on our place and purpose on the Earth, and on the wild intelligence speaking to us from beneath our feet.

"The earth says have a place; be what that place requires; hear the sound the birds imply and see as deep as ridges go behind each other...Listening, I think that’s what the earth says."  – William Stafford.