Instrumentation:
2 flutes, 1 oboe, 1 clarinet, 1 bassoon, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 1 trombone, percussion (1 player) and strings.
"The poem Earthquake, by the Trappist Monk Thomas Merton (1915-1968), presents the powerful voice of God. This is an insistent poem, with repetitions of stanzas and only slight variations. Through forceful restatement, the poem grows into the closing lines. The musical setting adopts the form of the poem. As the lyrics are structured into verse 'pairings,' so the men's voices are paired with and answered by the women's voices. The alternation continues several times, with the tonal center shifting up a step with each section. The modulations, intended to increase the strength and intensity of the song, are effected through sections of 'pacem' (peace). This word has been inserted by the composer to form bridges between the verses. For, as the earth will shake, so peace becomes the means of bringing the people together as one." - Gwyneth Walker (paraphrased).
