Lyrics
Boorenba – Songlines
Music and lyrics by Mark Shortis. The song uses local Jagera and Turrbul language words to describe familiar places and animals from around the Brisbane region.
Click HERE to download Boorenba-Songlines
Where There Is No Vision
Written by Fay White, a singer/songwriter from Victoria. Faye knows that music and especially song can heal, inspire, and encourage. Faye has worked with community choirs all over Australia and believes that strong communities play an important role in social change.
Click HERE to download Where there is no vision
Stolen Child
Lyrics by Sam Watson (2003) arranged By Marko Shortis
This is our signature song – Written by our patron Sam Watson, and arranged by Mark Shortis, the words reflect so much on what we feel about what was done, the doing and who it was done to during the last 200 years of colonisation in Australia.
Click HERE to download Stolen Child
No goon no pah
A travelling song, traditional Aboriginal. Bits and pieces of this song pop up in other traditional language songs. The way we sing No goon no pah was arranged by Lou Bennet from the band Tiddas.
When our choir sings in a traditional aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language, we feel closer to the original inhabitants of Australia, who have probably sung these songs for many hundreds of years. We also feel we gain some insight into a dimension of where past, present and future exist simultaneously – often referred to in English as the Dreaming
Click HERE to download No Goon No Pah
Innanay
Traditional – arranged by Lou Bennet, Innanay has become a popular song throughout Australia, particularly with younger school children.
Click HERE to download Innanay
Baba wai ar
Written by Misron Levi from St Paul, Moa Island, Torres Strait
From the Torres Strait, traditionally sung as a song praise and worship. Our patron Matilda Bani tells us that as long as the song is sung is this spirit, then it doesn’t matter what style is used. Very often we sing this song to thank and farewell an audience at the end of a performance
Click HERE to download Baba Wai Ar
Rocking the Whale
As taught to our musical director Rachael Dwyer, at a workshop presented by Fay White, a singer/songwriter from Victoria. Faye knows that music and especially song can heal, inspire, encourage, build community and play a role in social change
Click HERE to download Rocking the Whale
This Pretty Planet
Written by Tom Chapin & John Forster
Click HERE to download This Pretty Planet
Breathe
Written by Wendy Ashton
Click HERE to download Breathe
Lament of the Dja dja wurrung
Another song from Victorian songwriter Fay White, this song is based on a true story that happened in the Bendigo district of Victoria.
Nandelowindic was an aboriginal man who approached a squatter who had moved his sheep into Nandelowindic’s country. The sheep were were making all the water holes dry up and were trampling down the yam-daisy fields on which the local people relied on for a staple of their diet.
When Nandelowindic asked the white squatters to leave he and his family were driven away by force. When they protested and retaliated many of them they were shot and poisoned. The language is that of the Ddja dja wurrung people (pronounced Jar jar rung) which is the lament in the middle of the song.
The land of the Dja-dja-wurrung takes in the catchment area for the Loddon, Campaspe, and Avoca Rivers in the Riverine region of central/western Victoria.
Click HERE to download Lament for the Dja dja wurrung
Palm Island
Written and composed by John Thompson shortly after the tragic events on Palm Island in 2005. The tragedy is ongoing.
Click HERE to download Palm Island
The Walking Song
Was introduced to Songlines by Musical Director Rachel Dwyer. The words and melody are deceptively simple and singers seem to follow the rise and fall as naturally as breathing.