Lament for Manus Island In Parts I was asked for an arrangement of this song for a mixed voice ensemble, so here it is. The score is written with melody, (plus a descant in the chorus), to be sung by sopranos and/or tenors, an alto line and a bass line, with guitar chords indicated. For… Continue reading Lament for Manus Island:
A Choral Arrangement
Tag: Douglas McPherson
Lament for Manus Island:
Mnogaja Ljete
I’m unsure of the provenance of this song or the score presented here. Zlatko, of Zlatko’s Balkan Cabaret fame, introduced the song to the Illawarra Union Singers. The song is apparently a congratulatory song, and can be translated as “Many Summers”, or “Many Years”. “Original” Score: (.pdf) My Transcription of the Score (.pdf) My Transcription… Continue reading Mnogaja Ljete
Which Side Are You On?
Arrangement 1 Arrangement 2 Arrangement 3 Arrangement 4 This seminal song was written by Florence Reece in 1931, in Harlan County, Kentucky. These arrangements for a mixed voice choir, the Illawarra Union Singers, by Doug McPherson. “In 1931, the miners and the mine owners of that region were locked in a bitter and violent struggle… Continue reading Which Side Are You On?
It’s Getting Really Hard to Sing Advance Australia Fair -Simpler Version
An older more complex arrangement of this can be found by clicking here. The version below, 1.3, has the alto voices doubling the bass part, except for the ends of lines 4 and 5. There is no tenor line, but there are descant notes in the melody line for the cadences, again at the ends… Continue reading It’s Getting Really Hard to Sing Advance Australia Fair -Simpler Version
Ballad of 1891
This is a song about the 1891 Australian shearers’ strike. The song has been arranged in three parts: Words: Helen Palmer; Music: Doreen Jacobs; ©1950 Doreen Bridges Sheet Music Here is the definitive score, I’ve worked from, sourced from the Sydney Trade Union Choir, (STUC) in Cm. Sydney Trade Union Choir Score (.pdf) From this… Continue reading Ballad of 1891
Power In A Union
Here is an arrangement of Billy Bragg’s veritable anthem, “Power In A Union”, based on the American Civil War song, “The Battle Cry of Freedom”, which was written by the wonderfully named George F. Root. This arrangement by Christine Evans, with annotations including chords and the appropriate entry point for the bass voices. Aside from… Continue reading Power In A Union
Where Have All The Flowers Gone?
Pete Seeger’s simple but effective song about mankind’s inability to learn the lessons of history. A simple arrangement for the Illawarra Union Singers. Scroll down for Pete’s story about how the song came to be. Sheet Music: PDF Practice Track Pete Seeger on how the song came to be written: “I had been reading a… Continue reading Where Have All The Flowers Gone?
It’s Getting Really Hard to Sing Advance Australia Fair
A newer, simpler arrangement of this song can be found here: Here is Keith Binns’ 2014 rewrite of the lyrics to Advance Australia Fair; a commentary on the xenophobia inherent in our current policy on asylum seekers arriving by boat. In the arrangement presented here, for a small group of singers, I have largely dispensed… Continue reading It’s Getting Really Hard to Sing Advance Australia Fair
Tolpuddle Man: A Song Arrangement
Here is an arrangement of a song by Graham Moore, a commemoration of the Tolpuddle Martyrs. Scroll down for sheet music and practice tracks. The Tolpuddle Martyrs were a group of 19th century Dorset agricultural labourers who were arrested for and convicted of swearing a secret oath as members of the Friendly Society of Agricultural… Continue reading Tolpuddle Man: A Song Arrangement
Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream
Image by Jorgen Carlberg Ed McCurdy‘s simple, evocative and widely covered anti-war song, “Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream”, has been recorded in seventy-six languages (including covers by The Weavers in 1960, the Chad Mitchell Trio in 1962, Simon & Garfunkel in 1964,Cornelis Vreeswijk in 1964 (in Swedish), Hannes Wader in 1979 (in German), Johnny… Continue reading Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream