London's Southbank Centre is holding a series of classical concerts sponsored by Shell, even though the company has been widely condemned for decades of oil spills in Nigeria, for pushing ahead with destructive projects in the Canadian tar sands and the Arctic, for moving into fracking, and for destroying livelihoods and habitats wherever it operates. And of course, all this activity is having a disastrous impact on the global climate.
Earlier this year, a group of musicians and campaigners opposed to oil sponsorship of the arts formed the Shell Out Sounds (SOS) choir, and have performed during the interval of several Shell-sponsored concerts. This time, they have bought tickets for tonight's Shell-sponsored concert with Marin Alsop and the Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra. The concert features 'O King', a musical tribute to Martin Luther King by composer Luciano Berio, so SOS has rewritten the spiritual (and civil rights anthem), 'Wade in the Water', rechristening it 'Oil in the Water'. Having been prepared for heckles and boos, they are surprised and delighted when the audience applauds, and several clap along enthusiastically.
On the leaflet they distribute on the night is this quotation by Martin Luther King: 'Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.' We think Dr. King would be appalled at the way Shell is appropriating culture and dissent in the name of profit.
You are welcome to join us for future SOS performances, or to offer us new material to perform: info@shelloutsounds.org
Oil in the Water
------------------------
Oil in the water
Oil in the water, children
Oil in the water
Shell's gonna trouble the water
Who's that yonder dressed in red?
Oil in the water
Must be the woman whose crops are dead
Shell's gone and burnt the Delta
Oil in the water...
Who's that young girl dressed in blue?
Down in the water
Tar sands oil is soaking her through
Shell's gone and poisoned the water
(A chorus for the Brazilian orchestra):
Petrolio na agua
Petrolio na agua, filhos
Petrolio na agua
Shell vai perturbar a agua
Who's that young girl dressed in white?
Down by the water
Watching the Arctic rig drift by,
Shell's gonna spill in the water
Oil in the water...
May the Southbank be redeemed,
Cleansed by the water
'Fossil fuelled no more', we dream
Who's gonna trouble the water,
If we don't trouble the water?
Filmed and edited Hamish Campbell (
http://hamishcampbell.com)
Additional Camera Hugh Warwick (
http://www.urchin.info)
Sound edit (www.nemusend.co.uk)
Banner made by
http://shtiggy.wordpress.comhttp://visionon.tv
London's Southbank Centre is holding a series of classical concerts sponsored by Shell, even though the company has been widely condemned for decades of oil spills in Nigeria, for pushing ahead with destructive projects in the Canadian tar sands and the Arctic, for moving into fracking, and for destroying livelihoods and habitats wherever it operates. And of course, all this activity is having a disastrous impact on the global climate.
Earlier this year, a group of musicians and campaigners opposed to oil sponsorship of the arts formed the Shell Out Sounds (SOS) choir, and have performed during the interval of several Shell-sponsored concerts. This time, they have bought tickets for tonight's Shell-sponsored concert with Marin Alsop and the Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra. The concert features 'O King', a musical tribute to Martin Luther King by composer Luciano Berio, so SOS has rewritten the spiritual (and civil rights anthem), 'Wade in the Water', rechristening it 'Oil in the Water'. Having been prepared for heckles and boos, they are surprised and delighted when the audience applauds, and several clap along enthusiastically.
On the leaflet they distribute on the night is this quotation by Martin Luther King: 'Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.' We think Dr. King would be appalled at the way Shell is appropriating culture and dissent in the name of profit.
You are welcome to join us for future SOS performances, or to offer us new material to perform: info@shelloutsounds.org
Oil in the Water
------------------------
Oil in the water
Oil in the water, children
Oil in the water
Shell's gonna trouble the water
Who's that yonder dressed in red?
Oil in the water
Must be the woman whose crops are dead
Shell's gone and burnt the Delta
Oil in the water...
Who's that young girl dressed in blue?
Down in the water
Tar sands oil is soaking her through
Shell's gone and poisoned the water
(A chorus for the Brazilian orchestra):
Petrolio na agua
Petrolio na agua, filhos
Petrolio na agua
Shell vai perturbar a agua
Who's that young girl dressed in white?
Down by the water
Watching the Arctic rig drift by,
Shell's gonna spill in the water
Oil in the water...
May the Southbank be redeemed,
Cleansed by the water
'Fossil fuelled no more', we dream
Who's gonna trouble the water,
If we don't trouble the water?
Filmed and edited Hamish Campbell (
http://hamishcampbell.com)
Additional Camera Hugh Warwick (
http://www.urchin.info)
Sound edit (www.nemusend.co.uk)
Banner made by
http://shtiggy.wordpress.comhttp://visionon.tv
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