Seattle Peace Chorus performed international songs from gospel and classical traditions—from Cuba, Greece, Russia, South Africa, Latvia, Italy, and the Americas—from our 40-year history of singing for peace and justice.

Here is the full program order.

Our repertoire for “Opening Doors to the World through Song” includes:

• “I Am But a Small Voice” by Roger Whittaker. Seattle Peace Chorus first performed this song in its early years, including performances in the Soviet Union.
• “Rejoice, O Virgin” from All-Night Vigil by Rachmaninoff
• “Ella’s Song” by Sweet Honey in the Rock. We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it’s done!
• “Dievs, svētī Latviju!” the Latvian national anthem, by Kārlis Baumanis
• “His Eye Is on the Sparrow” arranged by Kent Stevenson
• “Total Praise” by Richard Smallwood
• “Va pensiero” from the opera Nabucco by Giuseppe Verdi
• “There’s Been a Great Injustice” by Frederick N. West, from People of the Drum
• “Si Somos Americanos” by Roger Whittaker
• “Yemaya” from Orin Odara: Songs of Transformation, a suite of songs from the Santeria tradition of the Yoruba People brought to Cuba as slaves, arranged by Fred Hoadley
• “Bridges Not Walls” by Doug Balcom
• “Shosholoza” sung by the mixed tribes of gold miners in South Africa, an anthem in the struggle against apartheid
• “Keep Hope Alive” by Ysaye M. Barnwell
• “Vegetaciones” from Canto General, music by Mikis Theodorakis, lyrics by Pablo Neruda

The Importance of “Va pensiero”

Seattle Peace Chorus included “Va pensiero” from Verdi’s opera Nabucco in a concert in 2014 titled “Songs that Change the World.”

When Giuseppe Verdi’s opera opened in 1842 there was no country of Italy. Instead, there were many small kingdoms held together only by a common language, although distinct dialects often obliterated that one communality. There had been a number of incipient revolutions seeking a constitution and a republican government for all of Italy, but they had been crushed. Nabucco, the story of the Babylonian Exile of the Jewish people, contains the chorus “Va Pensiero” sung by the Jewish captives. They sing of their longing for their homeland and freedom.

A mythology has grown up that the chorus was instantly recognized as a call for Italian freedom and widely sung by those seeking independence. While this is not true, it is true that Verdi was an ardent supporter of the revolution of 1848 and served in parliament for 4 years when Italy did win independence in 1861. It is also true that Verdi’s operas are replete with depictions of the tyrannical power of church and king (eg. “Don Carlo” in Otello, and “Un Ballo” in Maschera).

“Va pensiero” did become intimately associated with Italian independence in the late 19th century. When Verdi died, in 1901, over 200,000 people marched through the streets singing the famous chorus.

With its powerful lyrics and music, “Va pensiero” evokes a longing for a world where all can live with peace and justice. It also offers a cautionary message of how songs can be used in ways that subvert the original message. The Fascists, in the 1930s and 40s, held Verdi celebrations to reinforce their extreme nationalism.

“Va pensiero” is a song for changing the world and opening doors, but only if we use it to inspire work for peace and justice.

Hasten thoughts on golden wings.
Hasten and rest on the densely wooded hills,
where warm and fragrant and soft
are the gentle breezes of our native land!
The banks of the Jordan we greet
and the towers of Zion.
O, my homeland, so beautiful and lost!
O memories, so dear and yet so deadly!
Golden harp of our prophets,
why do you hang silently on the willow?
Rekindle the memories of our hearts,
and speak of the times gone by!
Or, like the fateful Solomon,
draw a lament of raw sound;
or permit the Lord to inspire us
to endure our suffering!

Seattle Peace Chorus is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization; your donations are tax-deductible.

These concerts are supported by:

The Abe Keller
Peace Education Fund

Paul G. Allen
Family Foundation