Upcoming Events

 

Turning Lament to Renewal

Parliament House Foyer, Tuesday 21 March 2023, 12.30–1.00pm

On 18 March 2003, A Chorus of Women was born when a ‘flash mob’ of 150 Canberra women sang a Lament for the people of Iraq, written just 4 days earlier by Glenda Cloughley (words) and Judith Clingan (music). The Lament was sung in the foyer of Parliament House as John Howard rose in the Chamber to announce Australia was joining the invasion of Iraq. This group of women who had never sung together before became a national and international media event when the ABC 7.30 Report that night led their report about the Iraq War with our singing (see the video clip on our home page). More recently the music of Lament has been used to express our grief about the destructive impacts of climate change.

We will return to Parliament House at 12.30pm on Tuesday 21 March, with permission this time, to sing the Lament again. We will add a new verse and invite politicians, men and women to join a People’s Chorus to make our promise to the Earth and to future generations.


Here is an interview with Barbie Robinson from Living Arts Canberra and here is a Canberra Times article from 18 March 2023.

 

Calling a People’s Chorus to mark the 20th Anniversary of A Chorus of Women

This is a call out to everyone, women and men, to join us to make this a truly inspirational occasion.

We encourage members of the Canberra singing community to join in at least one or two short weekend rehearsals, particularly to learn harmony parts. Rehearsals will be at the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture, 15 Blackall Street, Barton, 3.30 - 4.30, Sun 5/3, Mon 13/3 (long weekend) and Sun 19/3. Go to our 'Songs for Parliament House' page for more details, sheet music and sound files. 

If you just want to join on the day, you can either print out a lyric sheet or the melody of the three songs. Here are recordings of the melodies. You can register on the link above, if you would also like to join in some rehearsals.

 
Acknowledgement of Country
Lament
The Promise
 
Copyright © 2023 A Chorus of Women