“The Brunswick Women’s Choir has been groundbreaking in community choirs and been inspirational to lots of other singers; inspiring because they have given people the right to recognise the artist in themselves.”            – Therese Virtue, The Boite

The music of the Brunswick Women’s Choir reflects the eclectic and dynamic  traditions, history and multicultural life of Brunswick, an inner suburb of Melbourne.

The Choir’s music also reflects the lives, loves, pains and triumphs of the choir members – women from a variety of backgrounds who share a love of music and the joy of working together to inspire and entertain audiences.


Watch

Listen

May I Suggest from the Sing Anyway CD.

Download the full version of May I suggest [mp3 – 5.7MB].

Lone Wild Bird from the Sing Anyway CD.

Great Trees from the Sing Anyway CD.

Room at the Inn from the Sing Anyway CD.

Yil Lull from the Sing Anyway CD.

Download the full version of Yill lull [.mp3 – 6.5MB].

Thalassa from the I Can Hear Her Calling CD and Brunswick Women’s Choir Very Best Of 1991-2011– Traditionally, Greek women sang to the sea imploring that the men of the village return safely after a day of diving. This is their song. Arrangement: Cathy Nixon.

Motherless Chil’ from I Can Hear Her Calling CD and Brunswick Women’s Choir Very Best Of 1991-2011 – a dynamic traditional spiritual from which we have taken this CD’s title. Arrangement: Carol Maillard

All the Wild Wonders from Peace Cannot Be Silent CD  and Brunswick Women’s Choir Very Best Of 1991-2011– a beautiful and stirring song to soothe small foreheads, while simultaneously reminding adults of the urgency of our role as custodians of the earth. Music: Sue Johnson |  Words: Elizabeth Honey  | Arrangement: Coco’s Lunch

Download the full version of All The Wild Wonders [.mp3 – 4MB].

 


Commissioned music

Newly commissioned songs and arrangements are also a feature of the Brunswick Women’s Choir. Under the leadership of director Cathy Nixon, the choir has collaborated with local musicians to create exciting new arrangements for traditional and contempory songs. Cathy herself has written many new arrangements and in recent years the choir has commissioned new works from local composers.

In 2008 with a grant from Moreland City Council the choir commissioned indigenous singer songwriter Lou Bennet to work with the choir exploring the themes of reconciliation and sisterhood. Lou Bennet is committed to developing work that helps to reclaim and restore the Yorta Yorta language of her people and this is a feature of the new songs…

  • Manubak Garra-a gentle lullaby sung primarily in Yorta Yorta, softly entreats a baby to sleep.
  • Sista Energy-celebrates the power of connection between women, both indigenous and non-indiginous, recognising our points of connection and respecting our points of difference.
  • Love and Recognition-the words say it all…this is what we all need, what we want and what we can give to each other.

In 2006 with the assistance of the Graham F. Smith Trust the choir commissioned Melbourne composer Jennie Swain to write songs that reflect our views about peace and reconciliation. These songs feature on our Peace Cannot Be Silent CD and are…

  • One Moment-the story of Glenda and Judith who wrote the anthem for peace Lament and via email and phone recruited 150 women to sing it in the Australian Parliment House in 2003 an hour before the prime minister announced that Australia was joining the ‘Coalition of the Willing’.
  • We Are Writing In The Book Of Peacewhen we began thinking about peace and generating the ideas for Jennie’s compositions, we put thoughts, quotes, pictures and poems into a big scrap book and this in itself became a song.
  • Who Do You Think You Arethis is the most strident of our peace songs. In it we find unity amid a babble of clashing voices.
  • I’m SorryIf our nation could have the courage to own the truth and to heal the wounds of the past we might move on together in peace and justice.