Australian Parliament House - Forecourt, 8 March 2025, 7pm
Lament
Words: Glenda Cloughley
Music: Judith Clingan
Music: Judith Clingan
The song that started A Chorus of Women when 150 women sang it in the Foyer of Parliament House on 18 March 2003, the day Australia’s participation in the Iraq war was declared
Open the doors of the chambers – of your hearts
Open your minds to our song
We sing for peace, through the power of love
Hear the wisdom of women, hear our song.
Weep for our sisters in danger
Weep for our brothers and children
Sound the cries of grief and despair,
Sound the lament for the dead.
We are the People
REFRAIN
Johanna McBride
VERSES
Music - Seikilos tune
(oldest notated tune in Western music)
Words – Meg Rigby
Johanna McBride
VERSES
Music - Seikilos tune
(oldest notated tune in Western music)
Words – Meg Rigby
One of our early Chorus songs written for an event in 2004 entitled ‘Building a Chorus’, where we sought to describe our work and purpose.
REFRAIN
We are the people
So many different voices
Singing together
Finding wisdom in harmony
VERSE 1
Speaking truth, calling for peace
Crying out in our public places
Adding our voice to so many others
Seeking wisdom in human law
REFRAIN
We are the people …
VERSE 2
We celebrate community life
Telling of courage and joy and friendship
Sounding our grief at the pain around us
Dreaming a future of hope renewed
REFRAIN – repeat
We are the people …
sing out wisdom
Glenda Cloughley
A song of our hopes for a kinder, more collaborative culture in public life. An encouragement to our politicians to remember wisdom for the common good.
Leaders whose hearts beat with the rhythm of renewal
Bringers of the change to harmony
Singers of our hopes for a children’s children
We are a citizens’ chorus
And we sing out in the streets of our city
And yes, we’re listening for more echo,
your echo of accord between the country and the people
We are a whisper of the music of longing
that’s swelling in every part of the planet.
We are the rising up of voices
calling for politicians who sing out wisdom
Oh sweet Imagination!
Oh, sisters did you hear about the bureau of Wisdom?
And the planning for the Kindness Revolution?
Well, we want to see the Minister for Peace
And the Commissioners for Compassion too
We urging on an empathy audit of every public policy and pollie.
We’re looking forward to next Christmas
Australia’s carol is ‘Regeneration for our Children’s Children’
The New Year Resolution is harmony with nature
Hear us sing it now! We’re calling in the future!
Respect for Mother Earth and her First People top the polls.
No more fossils in the Cabinet. They’re sequestered with the coal.
Come on, Members of Parliament. Join our song!
So wisdom can prevail in our democracy!
We want well attuned politicians …
