Nature inspired composition?

I'm planning for a concert. As environment is a major issue today, I would like to perform nature inspired compositions. I have a mixed force of mixed choir, children choir, and off course, a classical orchestra.

So far I have seen Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony and John Rutter's "For The Beauty of the Earth".

Any suggestion?

Originally Posted by fauzie

I'm planning for a concert. As environment is a major issue today, I would like to perform nature inspired compositions. I have a mixed force of mixed choir, children choir, and off course, a classical orchestra.

So far I have seen Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony and John Rutter's "For The Beauty of the Earth".

Any suggestion?

do it in the forest near some big flowing river surrounded by mountains

How about something by Oliver Messiaen. He was inspired by birdsong, and included it in a lot of his works.

Feldman's "Nature piano pieces"

Originally Posted by jujimufu

Feldman's "Nature piano pieces"

Ahh, good one! I'm still looking for a good recording of them.

Try some of the Romantics like Schubert, Schumann, etc. I can only think of Schubert's Die Schone Mullerin which has some nature inspired songs, like the song for the brook and the song about wandering in the woods.

I did a piece called Winter if you want to use it.
haha.
Anyway, ummm Cloudburst by Eric Whitacre is about a rain storm....
Schubert the Trout quintet??

hope this helps

Hmmm. I was going to suggest lots of things, but then I read that the childrens' choir needed to be incorporated. The first things that springs to mind for are hymns. A vast number are about nature, and usually easy to sing.

In terms of orchestral fare, how about Dvorak's 'Restful Woods'? The 'New World' Symphony also evokes expansive countryside, but wouldn't sound as appropriate in the programme.

Vivaldi's four seasons might work very nicely, since most people already know it.

EDIT: forgot to mention Haydn's Seasons

What about Sergei Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf? It's...related to nature, in a way. Or perhaps Richard Strauss' Don Quixote? Man vs. Windmill? A struggle for nature? No?

I give up.