EcoTherapy is about going out into nature. Of course, this is not always possible.
So, Ann Palmer has hit on a way of bringing nature into heart, mind, body and spirit by writing and singing EcoSongs. She puts celebratory, positive, empowering, uplifting eco-lyrics to famous out-of-copyright song-tunes, anthems, carols and hymns.
Then she pays other people to sing and record them. Forty-eight of the eighty-eight EcoSongs Ann has written are recorded by singers ranging from children’s choirs to professional musicians, both sides of the Atlantic.
“The really fascinating thing is how these old songs are re-interpreted,” Ann said. “I have a conventional rendition of BirdSong to the tune of the First Nowell sung by an Edinburgh Choir and also a rap version. Both are on the CD EcoSanta’s Earth’s Christmas Album.”
This bandwidth of interpretation is designed to appeal intergenerationally. As co-founder of the Young People’s International Anti-litter Charity, Ecologisers, Ann finds singing EcoSongs while she litter-picks doubles the eco-therapeutic effect.
The Open University invited Ann to contribute to their EcoCreativity Conference in November. It gave her the opportunity to share a special video of seven-year-old Daniel litter-picking to a soundtrack of a medley of three EcoCarols.
“I am not a good singer,’ Ann confessed. ‘I’ve been writing EcoSongs for seven years now. It certainly is great ecotherapy. Now my husband asks for ‘a concert’ every day so my singing is improving too!”
For further details check the ecologisers website.
