3 part street singing song 

"we gotta put people before profit, people matter so much more"

People Before Profit

Fair Palestine tells the story of some of the inspirational Palestinian people resisting the Israeli Occupation with courage and dignity. Farmers working to keep their land fruitful; Women working to teach children that they are valuable and beautiful, and challenging the Israeli soldiers that undermine their sense of self-worth; Villagers demonstrating to access the water wells that have been taken from them by Illegal Israeli settlers. These are everyday experiences in Palestine, and still yet extraordinary acts of courage.

Fair Palestine

A song of solidarity sent across the ocean to the extraordinary Never Again activists working to make the USA and the world a safer place.

Never Again

A song for a dear friend, to remind her to take the time when she needs it, as we all do. Life can be turbulent, and I hope this song can help comfort anyone who needs it.

Dear Sister, Rest A While

#SistersNotStrangers is a campaign led by refugee and asylum-seeking women to build solidarity for women who have come to the UK to seek safety but have instead been made destitute. This song is in support of this campaign - please sing it, share it, and use it to urge people to support this campaign. www.sistersnotstrangers.com/

Part learning track is available, and a score can be found at https://singlouderthanguns.com/campaigning-songs/

Sisters Not Strangers_Wildfire Women

A song of international solidarity, written for the Street Choirs Festival 2017. Lyrics in Spanish, Zulu, Arabic and English. It is possible to sing smaller sections independently of each other as well as the whole piece.

When The Sun Rises Alto

When The Sun Rises All

Raising My Voice, Raising Your Voice was commissioned to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Scottish Women's Aid. It weaves together slogans women have used whilst campaigning for an end to violence against women, and whilst supporting each other to survive the ongoing violence.

Raising My Voice Raising Your Voice (parts)

The Cholita Climbers are Aymara indigenous women from Bolivia. Worked as high altitude cooks for years, decided to start climbing themselves in 2014.  They have now climbed many Andean peaks and in Jan 2019 summited Aconcagua (22,841ft) the tallest peak on the continent and outside of Asia. ‘Cholita’ is a reclaiming of ‘Chola’ a Spanish word used derogatorily towards people of mixed and indigenous ancestry. Not until the election of the first Indigenous President of Bolivia in 2005 did the Cholitas begin to gain access and equality. They climb in their traditional dress of Pollera skirts and Aguago carry-cloths and jewellery, swapping their bowler hats for helmets and strapping crampons and boots on. 
  
“There’s always someone who will criticise us. They still do, but we’ll show them with actions, not words.” 
  
“When we go climbing we feel free from everything.” 
  
Jimena Lidia Huayllas, group leader

Cholita Climbers_learning parts

Seal Lullaby

Oh! hush thee, my baby, the night is behind us,
And black are the waters that sparkled so green.
The moon, o’er the combers, looks downward to find us
At rest in the hollows that rustle between.

Where billow meets billow, there soft be thy pillow;
Ah, weary wee flipperling, curl at thy ease!
The storm shall not wake thee, nor shark overtake thee,
Asleep in the arms of the slow-swinging seas.

Rudyard Kipling

(Music written by Penny Stone For Henry Bowler, on the occasion of his birth, 2019)

Seal Lullaby

All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well, 
For there is a force of love moving through the universe
That holds us fast and will never let us go.

Words: Julian of Norwich, 14th Century
Music: Penny Stone, 21st Century

A Force Of Love

"All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things  shall be well, for there is a force of love moving through the universe  that holds us fast and will never let us go.”
Julian of Norwich, 14th Century

Music by Penny Stone

www.singlouderthanguns.com

A Force Of Love (with tune solo)

Oh how we love the NHS, 
We love the workers who do their best, 
Under difficult circumstances getting harder every day, 
Unnecessary cuts to services no matter what we say, 
Oh how we love, the NHS!

Oh how we love the NHS, 
We love the workers who do their best, 
Even though the politicians make decisions all the time, 
Without listening to the people screaming “lives are on the line,” 
Oh how we love, the NHS!

Oh how we love the NHS, 
We love the workers who do their best, 
Under difficult circumstances getting harder every day, 
Unnecessary cuts to services no matter what we say, 
Oh how we love, the NHS!

Oh How We Love The NHS!

Arabic Language version of We Shall Overcome, sung by San Ghanny choir in 2017. SSA Arrangement by Penny Stone. Score available for free here. https://singlouderthanguns.com/arrangements/

San Ghanny Choir can be found here:
https://singlouderthanguns.com/sanghanny/

We Shall Overcome_San Ghanny

Words to Arabic version of 'We Shall Overcome' spoken by Hala to aid non-Arabic speakers learning to sing the song.

Lyric sheet can be found here: https://singlouderthanguns.com/arrangements/

We Shall Overcome Spoken.MP3

Three part arrangement of Bread and Roses.

Lyrics and Score can be found here: 
https://singlouderthanguns.com/arrangements/

Bread And Roses_3 part

I wrote this track many years ago as a sort of 'lullaby for adults' during a difficult time. I wrote it to soothe myself during a long long night when I couldn't sleep, and it has been soothing me ever since. I thought now was a good time to share it.

All Through The Night

Written for my niece and nephew, born on the same day.


Sister Nellie close your eyes, close your eyes,
Lullaby simple, lullaby wise.
Brother Arthur close your eyes, close your eyes,
Dancing and dreaming ‘til the sunrise.

Hush-a-bye, firefly, gonna sing you a lullaby,
Hush-a-bye, firefly, gonna sing you another lullaby.

Sister Nellie don’t you cry, don’t you cry,
Lullaby low down lullaby high,
Brother Arthur don’t you cry, don’t you cry,
Moon in the window, stars in the sky.

Hush-a-bye, firefly, gonna sing you a lullaby
Hush-a-bye, firefly, gonna sing you another lullaby.

Sister Nellie sing along, sing along,
Lullaby softly, lullaby strong.
Brother Arthur sing along, sing along,
Sing in your cradle our sleeping song.

Hush-a-bye, firefly, gonna sing you a lullaby
Hush-a-bye, firefly, gonna sing you another lullaby.

Sister Nellie slowing down, slowing down,
Lullaby lost and lullaby found,
Brother Arthur slowing down, slowing down,
This old earth keeps a-rolling around.

Hush-a-bye, firefly, gonna sing you a lullaby
Hush-a-bye, firefly, gonna sing you another lullaby.

Sister Nellie when you dream, when you dream
Lullaby whisper, lullaby scream.
Brother Arthur when you dream, when you dream
Climb in the trees and swim up-stream.

Hush-a-bye, firefly, gonna sing you a lullaby
Hush-a-bye, firefly, gonna sing you another lullaby.

Firefly Lullaby

Written for my first nephew. 

When you join us little one, oh I've a little song to sing you -
All the words I'll whisper while you're growing tall.
Stories seen as ordinary, tales of the extraordinary -
Always weaving new words, before your very eyes

All the world's a wonder, don't you be scared,
No need to worry till you're older, we'll worry instead.
When you're weary, close your eyes, and when you wake again,
If the dark feels troubling, soon come the day.

When your legs grow stronger, I'll teach you how to run,
Though I hope you never have to run from anything or anyone,
I'll show you how to stand your ground, don't let yourself be pushed around,
You have to make your own way, but I'll catch you when I can.

All the world's a wonder, don't you be scared,
No need to worry till you're older, we'll worry instead.
When you're weary, close your eyes, and when you wake again,
If the dark feels troubling, soon come the day.

When your heart grows older I hope it never breaks,
But when love is at the window, don't you hesitate.
Start your dreaming young enough, and keep your dreaming longer,
Anything you want to do, nothing in this world could stop you long.

While your arms are open wide enough, I'll show you how to care:
Lay your eyes upon the world, you'll see there's trouble everywhere.
Just you give all that you can give, the only way we all can live
Together, if you never open up you'll never know.

All the world's a wonder, don't you be scared,
No need to worry till you're older, we'll worry instead.
When you're weary, close your eyes, and when you wake again,
If the dark feels troubling, soon come the day.

Well things are always changing, little one, we're always growing,
Anybody tries to tell you that they know it all, they're wrong.
So trust yourself to get along, but keep on asking questions,
And when you need a steady hand to help you, I'll be there.

All the world's a wonder, don't you be scared,
No need to worry till you're older, we'll worry instead.
When you're weary, close your eyes, and when you wake again,
If the dark feels troubling, soon come the day.

Walter's Lullaby

Learning tracks for 'You Gotta Start Somewhere'.

You Gotta Start Somewhere Tune

You Gotta Start Somewhere L1

You Gotta Start Somewhere H1

You Gotta Start Somewhere ALL

Written by the women at Joyous Choir, part of Maryhill Integration Network in Glasgow.

Everybody Dreams

Written by Joyous Choir in celebration of each other, and for the existence of groups such as Joyous and AMMA.

Lift Me

Spreading the Light

A song of hope, written with Joyous Choir during Diwali 2020

I feel hope flicker, (hope flicker) 
Senge mwenje murima,
like a candle in the dark,
suddenly I can see! 
ajawaru na patherna, spreading the light. 
Prem no dareyo, spreading the love.

Translations:
ajawaru na patherna = spreading the light (gujurati)
Prem no dareyo = ocean of love (gujurati)
Senge mwenje murima = like a candle in the dark (Shona)

Spreading The Light

Tiri Vamwe (We Are Together)

Written with Joyous Choir, december 2020

Tiri Pamwe, Tiri Vamwe,
Ye nyinaa ye baako, somos uno.
Jesteśmy razem, ham saat hey,
Tiri Pamwe, Tiri Vamwe.

Translations:

We are one:
Tiri pamwe - Shona
Ye nyinaa ye baako - Twi
Somos uno - Spanish

We are together:
Tiri vamwe - Shona
Jesteśmy razem – Polish 
Ham saat hey - Urdu

Tiri Vamwe (We Are Together)

Parts for Tiri Vamwe, written with Joyous Choir, a Maryhill Integration Network project, in December 2020.

Penny Stone

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