by Debbie Armour with Sing Mor
Sung by: Bill, Carol Anne, Gay, Ise, Mandy, Meg, Phoebe, Richard, Sue & Susy
All images & artwork by singers and their families & friends – view the original artwork used in the film here | Video production by Mandy, Sing Mor | Audio mixing by Mike Kearney | Recording of water sounds by Anton Spice
Access resources for Song For Water
Song For Water was created by Debbie Armour (who performs under the name Burd Ellen) in collaboration with members of the traditional folk roots choir Sing Mor from all round Lochaber. The ideas for the song came out of shared environmental concerns about how we are treating our planet, and the whole choir got involved in lyric creation. The song is a meditation on the precious and essential life-giving properties of water and the water cycle.
We have made two flexible scores in two different keys to suit different voice ranges. The sung audio resources are in D major and there is also a slightly lower C major score available. The score is flexible and has been created as a template for you to use and adapt, rather than as a fixed score. All voice types, high or low, can sing on any part, and can be combined in any way. It is an acapella song but could equally be combined with an instrumental drone. The lyrics wash, splash, listen, glisten offer onomatopoeic vocal sounds to the coda. This idea could also be used as a stimulus to workshop and create your own vocal soundscapes.
This song has been written in a folk style. There are flexible spots for solos, some lush close harmony, and beautifully crafted words: “Eternally circling in dance with the sunlight, the sea gives its jewels to the sky”.
Sing Mor is a community group singing for purposeful pleasure in Lochaber in the West Highlands of Scotland. If you are interested in joining them, please get in touch via hello@lovemusic.org.uk and we will pass on your message.