STAGING - Stop Ecocide International

What is choirs for Ecocide Law?

Choirs for Ecocide Law is an artistic choral project, whose main purpose is to spread awareness about the need to make large-scale environmental destruction (ecocide) an international crime.

Choirs for Ecocide Law provides a sixty minute concert program, “Let us change the rules!”, ready to be rehearsed and performed by your choir – for free. The scores package includes popular music made by composers from different cultures, along with guidelines for an interactive rehearsal process, and with a script for bringing the concert storyline to stage.

So far, the Let’s Change The Rules!concert has been performed in:

Jyväskylä, Finland
Helsinki, Finland
Aarhus, Denmark
Istanbul, Turkey
Lyon, France
Zaragoza, Spain
Luxemburg
Sandefjord, Norway

Embedded video: https://www.youtube.com/embed/NSv4HAWwUR4?feature=oembed

Embedded video: https://player.vimeo.com/video/945434918?badge=0&autopause=0&player_id

YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChoirsforEcocideLaw/videos

The style of the music could be described as the composer’s own style with a popular music twist. Read more about the composers and songs.

All the lyrics are written in English, except Eanan Eadni, but you may find translations in our material bank, or add your translation there.

Use the score version for each song that you prefer. Please keep in mind that this concert program can be made by several choirs joining forces to perform the concert together.

Many of the songs in this program can be performed a cappella but all the songs also have a piano accompaniment.

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CHOIRS FOR ECOCIDE LAW - CONCERT PROGRAM AND STORYLINE CUE WORDS

Eanan Eadni — Simon Issát Marainen
“Protect, preserve Mother Earth”
A Yoik composed for us, indigenous wisdom.

Creation — Kevin Fox / Astrid Vang Pedersen
“Water, fire, earth and air, a combination so very rare, this planet, all alone, you let us call you Home”
How was this mystery called Planet Earth born?

Song of Desperation — Genevieve Andersen / Merzi Rajala
“I see fire on the mountain, you better run, you better run, you better run. And now it´s freezing down in Texas, they´re saying the end of the world has begun.”
Ecological current crisis in USA, problems of global warming, oil spills, tar sand.

The Rules — Chris Hutchings
“All the rules say, that it doesn´t really matter if the last tree dyes, all the rules say, it´s ok to poison rivers if your profits rise.”
The current laws and international law allow nature destruction.

Blue Sky, Chemical Dye — Moira Smiley / Merzi Rajala
“Your water´s blue from the blue sky, my water´s blue from the chemical dye. You get jeans made cheap in China, I got poison in my eye.”
Our actions have an effect on each other all the way to the other side of the planet.

We Used To Know — Astrid Vang Pedersen
“I am standing in a line in front of those who came before me. All who walked the path of life and left it for me, they used to know.”
The generations before us had the skills to live in harmony with the planet. When and how did this knowledge disappear?

A Scientist’s Speech on Biodiversity Loss — Merzi Rajala / Federico Trindade / Panu Halme
“We need to change everything and, at the same time, almost nothing. With everything I mean that we have to change our priority lists, and values.”
A real speech from a real researcher.

It’s Not Your Business — Federico Trindade / Merzi Rajala, Niilo Suhonen
“It’s not your business what I do, I choose my way and lifestyle too, I have my bills, I have to work, these are the facts, so back off jerk!”
Three different angry voices, answering to the researchers speech.

I Wanna See You Free — Simone Tandberg / Vocal Ensemble Dopplers
“If you wanna free the world and change the way, people disappoint, destroy and damage ev´ry present day, who will lead the way and tell us what´s wrong and right, there´s so many out there who give up without a fight.
I want the planet to set me free, how do we find the answer?

Hope — Merzi Rajala / Tessa Virta / Emily Dickinson
”Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the souls, and sings the tune without the words, and never stops at all.”
We need to feel hopeful in order to start the actions.

Questions — Kevin Fox / the performing choir
Questions and thoughts collected from the audience and choir connected to the theme, performed by the choir and improvising singers (optional).

The Oak and the Lark — Kevin Fox / Edward Randell
“The tree replied: if you wanna see me again, you must choose the harder path, for the other is a smooth ride to nowhere”
Asking and getting advice from the Oak and the Lark, what to do?

The Rules, reprise: the New Law — Chris Hutchings
“And we know it´s not too late, every nation, every state can change the rules”
Presenting the ecocide law proposal, law text.

Ask Not — Peder Karlsson
”Ask not what a river can do for you. Ask what you can do for the river. Ask not what the planet can do for you. Ask what you can do for the planet.”
Encouraging to make a right choice.

Come Over — Moira Smiley
“Take my hand, we will be stronger for it. We´re gonna lift us, each other. We´re gonna lift us out of the troubles for a while”
The ending song of the concert, an invitation to join, to make things happen together, to support each other.

You can look at the score excerpts and listen to audio examples of the material, to determine style and difficulty levels.

All the songs are arranged in##INLINE16##:

Melody, lyrics and chords (one singer or unisono singing)
Upper voices choir
Mixed choir

We recommend ChoirMate for easy access to scores, rehearsal files and other project information, organised in an easy way for all the members of your choir to fine.

Use of the app for the purposes of Choirs for Ecocide Lawis free of charge.

You may choose to perform the whole concert with your own choir only, soloists from within the choir, or you could even join your forces with other singers and choirs in your community.

The purpose of this concert is to raise awareness of the movement for and the impact of a new international crime of ecocide, both for singers and their audience.

To join Choirs for Ecocide Law, please read the participation agreement below, fill out the form and you will be redirected to a page containing all materials and granted access to the ChoirMate app for free.

Our work is done as a donation to Mother Earth. Let us now pass the torch to you.
We wish you an inspirational journey wherever you go and sing.

The free choir concert package includes:

Upcoming concerts

What is choirs for Ecocide Law?

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Participation agreement