Lament, Poetic Prayer, Petition, and Protest: Community Choirs and Environmental Activism in Australia

Abstract

The national news broadcaster, ABC, screened their passionate singing in leading "All we are saying is give science a voice" to the familiar musical line of "All we are saying is give peace a chance." Since the mid-1980s, when a contemporary a cappella scene emerged in Australia, community choirs have grown enormously in number and presence throughout cities, towns, and regional communities. [...]the music performed by many choirs is reduced in political intent and musical edge. [...]the politics of "place" were inevitably an undercurrent within the music (Rickwood 2013a). A Chorus of Women's Songs for Care of The Earth, their environmental repertoire, provides an ideal body of work in which to explore their environmental activism. Since 2006, many of these songs have become musical contributions to a regular event called Canberra Conversations, to Science Week programs, and to numerous community performances.