The text for this piece is an excerpt from Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass. It is a toast from America to the world, recognizing the splendor of the entire earth and how each nation is only a tiny part of the whole. Whitman talks about foreign lands as being a part of his own body, exploring how the earth exists in all of us and how that connects us as citizens of the world. A terrific piece to take on an international tour!

Commissioned and premiered by the University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club.