121May 15 – “Building Bridges – A Concert for Peace & Justice”

1. BRIDGES by Bill Staines – “And if someone should ask us where we’re off and bound today, we will tell them building bridges and be off and on our way.”
2. BAMBELELA “Hold On” – Zulu song arising out of the AIDS crisis in Africa, which has devastated families.
3. NO MAS VIOLENCIA by Pete Seeger – Pete gave this to us two years ago, and we are honored to include it in this year’s repertoire.
4. THE AWAKENING AGE by Allan Bullard & Ben Okri – One movement from the cantata called “Prime Meridian,” celebrating the African and European countries through which the Greenwich Meridian passes. Written for OXFAM’s “On the Line” project to promote better understanding and dialogue between rich and poor nations.
5. SIZOHAMBA NAYE from Swaziland – “We will walk with truth, we will go forward together rejoicing.”
6. ON  JUSTICE, TRUTH, AND PEACE by Amy F. Bernon – This piece intertwines three texts, the first two from ancient rabbis:  “Where justice is done, peace is made” and “On these three things the whole world stands: justice, truth and peace;” the final text in Hebrew from Psalm 133:“Oh, how good it is for people to dwell together in peace.”
7. RISE UP & SING! by J.S. Bach, lyrics by Aileen Vance – A “de-rangement” of a Bach chorale in honor of the Peace Chorale’s 8th season.  We are very angry this year by how long the U.S. occupations of Iraq & Afghanistan have lasted. We will continue to sing and work for peace together.
8. SAKURA – The classic & very peaceful traditional Japanese spring song celebrating the return of the cherry blossoms:
   “Cherry blossoms gently floating in the air. Is it a mist? Is it a cloud?  The fragrance is everywhere.  Come, come.  Let us go and see.”
   Jeffrey Smedberg, alto recorder; Takashi Yogi, wind chime & cymbals; Louise Loots, Hand Drum
9. SAMO NEK BUDE MIR, “Can there just be peace?” – A song in Serbo-Croatian from the devastating civil war of the early 1990’s in the former Yugoslavia.
10. NOT IN MY NAME by John McCutcheon – The Peace Chorale formed in 2002 to sing out against what was then an impending war in Iraq.  Eight and a half years later, we are still saying “Not in our name!”  Soloist: Mary Graydon Fontana
11. WE SHALL NOT GIVE UP THE FIGHT – South African anti-apartheid anthem from 1980’s, which still rings true in our many struggles for peace & justice.
12. BUILDING BRIDGES, a round from the Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp of the 1980’s, arr. Nick Page – You are part of the chorus on this one.
13. THINK OF ME, FORGET ME NOT – A traditional parting song from South Africa, learned from the Diamond Singers. This song now is being sung all over the world.  Let’s keep spreading it around; sing it with us!