…Become Ocean!  John Luther Adams, a composer who lived in Alaska most of his composing life, wrote a symphonic tone poem “Become Ocean” for the Seattle Symphony.  It is about the melting glaciers in Alaska and the icecap in Greenland becoming ocean.  Adams wrote in the score:

“Life on this earth first emerged from the sea. As the polar ice melts and sea level rises, we humans find ourselves facing the prospect that once again we may quite literally become ocean.”

New Yorker music critic Alex Ross wrote that he: “went away reeling…  It may be the  loveliest apocalypse in musical history.”

The piece won the Pulitzer Prize for Classical Music and a grammy award.  I have played it on Raven Radio a few times and it always moves me. Someday I hope to hear it live with a full orchestra.  The piece was on my mind as we navigated out of Qaqortoq on sort of a cruise ship slalom course through the ice.

That ice kept us out of Nanortalik and there was some question of ice congestion going into St. Anthony, Newfoundland, although as you will read in a future post, we had no problems there.  The Labrador Sea between Greenland, Labrador and Newfoundland is Iceberg Alley.

We sat in the Crow’s Nest on sail out from Qaqortoq for as long as Holland America allowed.  They had booked the Crow’s Nest for a private party and as 6 PM approached they tossed us out.  Crow’s Nest is the only sheltered forward looking venue on the ship unless you want to be on an exercise machine.  I was frustrated but am fortunate to have had the experience I did have.

Here is a photo gallery of that sail out.