top of page

Current Program

SPIRIT: Water & Words

Stand in that River

Words and music by Moira Smiley


I went to my river but my river was dry

The dust rose up to a darkened sky.

Tell me, where is hope?

Where do the waters run clear?

I do not know my way from here.


Come and stand in that river

Current gentle and slow

Send your troubles down water.

Down on that water flow


When you stand in that river,

Angels sing in your head.

Secrets beyond ev’ry worry.

Dreams beyond ev’ry dread


Tell me sister, brother,

Where does that river flow?

It flows down to the great water.

Where soon my people will go


Oh time passes on down the stream

Some days are so much sweeter

Some days, some pass like a dark dream


Come and stand in that river

Current gentle and slow

Send your troubles down water.

Down on that water flow


Flow with the River

Words and music by Steve Parsons


Life is a river uncharted and flowing

Flow with the river, flow with the river

Full of adventure unfolding and growing

Flow with the river of life.


Born of the earth slowly tumbling and falling,

Flow with the river, flow with the river

Soon it is racing, fulfilling its calling,

Flow with the river of life.


Flow with the river wherever it leads you,

Carrying onward so swift and strong

Come take the journey, unique and exciting

Found in the river, the river of life


Never lose faith in the path you are making

Flow with the river, the river of life

Cherish the journey in each undertaking

Flow with the river of life


Ev’ryone’s life has a part to deliver

Flow with the river, the river of life

Adding our own special stream to the river

Flow with the river of life


Flow with the river wherever it leads you,

Carrying onward so swift and strong

Come take the journey, unique and exciting

Found in the river, the river of life


Carry us all in the river, let it flow.

Flow with the river wherever it leads you,

Carrying onward so swift and strong

Come take the journey, unique and exciting

Found in the river, the river of life


Flow with the river

Join with the river

Flow with the river of life


Shenandoah

arr. James Erb

American Folksong


Oh, Shenandoah, I long to see you

And hear your rolling river

Oh, Shenandoah, I long to see you

‘Way, we’re bound away, across the wide Missouri


I long to see your smiling valley,

And hear your rolling river

I long to see your smiling valley

‘Way, we’re bound away, across the wide Missouri


Tis seven long years, since last I saw you

And hear your rolling river

Tis seven long years, since last I saw you

‘Way, we’re bound away across the wide Missouri


Oh, Shenandoah, oh, Shenandoah, oh, Shenandoah

Set 1

Sicut Cervus

G.P. Palestrina

Psalm 42: 1- 3


Sicut cervus desiderat ad fontes aquarum,

ita desiderat anima mea ad te, Deus


Sitivit anima mea ad Deum fortem vivum,

quando veniam et apparebo ante faciem Dei?

Fuerunt mihi lacrymae meae panes die ac nocte,

dum dicitur mihi quotidie:

ubi Deus tuus?


Translation:

As the heart longs for the water springs,

So longs my soul for thee, O God.


My soul has thirsted for the living God:

When shall I come and appear before the face of my God?

My tears have been my bread by day and by night,

While it is said to me daily:

Where is your God?


Water

Words and music by Anders Edenroth


Water...

In the mind of a melting snowman,

in the sound from a whistling kettle,

in the gently alighting crystal of ice,

in the dewdrops of a colourful petal.

To live, everyone must have water,

to give, not to deny each other,

to bring from source to mouth just like

the food of love from a nursing mother.

Sweet as an angel’s kiss,

salt as her falling tears,

droplets in patience wearing away

the mountain of time for billions of years.

In the shape of a cloud evolving,

in the gleam when your skin perspires,

in the curse of a lost and foundering ship,

in the silent face Narcissus admires,

To kill for in a global battle,

to chill well in a plastic bottle,

to find between air and earth,

both cold and wet says Aristotle.

Mild as a mermaid’s song,

wild when the oceans roar,

never been born and never been buried,

infinite waves caressing the shore.

Water…


La Chanson de Mardi Gras

arr. Michael McGlynn

Traditional Cajun


Les Mardi Gras s’en vient de tout partout,

Tout alentour le tour de moyeu,

Ça passe une fois par an, demandé la charité,

Quand-même ça c’est une patate, une patate ou des gratons.


Les Mardi Gras sont dessus un grand voyage,

Tout alentour le tour de moyeu,

Ça passe une fois par an, demandé la charité,

Quand-même ça c’est un poule maigre, ou trois ou quatre coton maїs.


Capitaine, capitaine, voyage ton flag,

Allons chez un autre voisin,

Demandé la charité pour les autres qui viennent nous rejoindre,

Les autres qui viennent nous rejoindre,

Ouais, au gombo ce soir!


Translation:

The Mardi Gras come from all around the area,

From all around the town center,

They come by every year asking for charity

Sometimes it is potatoes, potatoes and pork fat.


The Mardi Gras are on a great journey,

From all around the town center,

They come by every year asking for charity

Sometimes it's a small chicken, or three or four cobs of corn.


Captain, captain, wave your flag,

We will go to another neighbor’s house.

Asking for charity for others who will join us later on,

For others who will join us later

For gumbo tonight.

Set 2

Even When He is Silent

Music by Kim André Arneson

Anonymous 20th c.

The text was found written on a wall at a concentration camp after World War II.


I believe in the sun even when it’s not shining.

I believe in love even when I feel it not.

I believe in God even when He is silent.



Spes (Hope)

Music by Mia Makaroff

Sami text by Nils Aslak Valkeapaa (1943-2001)

Ecclesiastes 8:1, 8


Quis talis, ut sapiens est?

Et quis cognovit solutionem rerum?


Biekka oapmi lean

muhto liikká ealán

ja dat lea vissa eallima dárkkuhus

Ealán odne dál ja dás

ja just dat lea madoheapme de in eali sat ihttin

nu ja máid dasto


Non est in hominis potestate

dominari super spiritum

nec cohibere spiritum

nec habet potestatem supra diem mortis


sapientia hominis illuminat vultum eius

et durities faciei illius commutatur


Translation:

Who is like the wise?

Who knows the explanation of things?


I belong to the wind,

but I live,

maybe that is the meaning of life.

I live here and now...

I won’t be alive tomorrow.

That is the way – and so what.


As no one has power

over the wind to contain it,

so no one has power

over the time of their death.


A person’s wisdom brightens their face

and changes its hard appearance.


Lullaby for P. Bruce

arr. Lindsey Bower

Words and music by Connie Converse


A ship sails tonight for Singapore

A ship sails tonight for Italy

A ship sails tonight for dream country

I wonder which ship will carry me


It's three weeks to sail to Italy

It's four weeks to sail to Singapore

So I'll take the ship for dream country

And morning bright, I'll be back on shore


Ramblin’ Sailor

arr. Gitika Partington

Traditional


I’ve sailed the seas, fought battles too

Long time I’ve ploughed the ocean

I’ve fought for my home land ruled the sea

Won medals and promotion

But now I’ve bid ship mates adieu

I’ve left behind both ship and crew

To travel my home land through and through

And be a rambling sailor

Moving on I’ll never marry

Solitary never tarry


And if you want to know my name

My name it is a nonsense

I have a mission from the Queen to court ev’ry one

that hand some with my false heart and flattering tongue

I’ll court them but I’ll marry none

And be a rambling sailor

Moving on I’ll never marry

Solitary never tarry

Set 3
Set 4

Unwritten

arr. Vince Peterson

Words and music by Natasha Bedingfield, Danielle Brisebois, and Wayne Rodrigues

Prelude in F Major, J. S. Bach


I am unwritten

Can't read my mind

I'm undefined


I'm just beginning

The pen's in my hand

Ending unplanned


Staring at the blank page before you

Open up the dirty window

Let the sun illuminate the words

That you could not find


Reaching for something in the distance

So close you can almost taste it

Release your inhibitions

Feel the rain on your skin


No one else can feel it for you

Only you can let it in

No one else, no one else

Can speak the words on your lips


Drench yourself in words unspoken

Live your life with arms wide open

Today is where your book begins

The rest is still unwritten


Oh, oh

I break tradition

Sometimes my tries

Are outside the lines


We've been conditioned

To not make mistakes

But I can't live my life that way


Staring at the blank page before you

Open up the dirty window

Let the sun illuminate the words

That you could not find


Reaching for something in the distance

So close you can almost taste it

Release your inhibitions

Feel the rain on your skin


No one else can feel it for you

Only you can let it in

No one else, no one else

Can speak the words on your lips


Drench yourself in words unspoken

Live your life with arms wide open

Today is where your book begins


Feel the rain on your skin

No one else can feel it for you

Only you can let it in

No one else, no one else

Can speak the words on your lips


Drench yourself in words unspoken

Live your life with arms wide open

Today is where your book begins

The rest is still unwritten


Feel the rain on your skin

No one else can feel it for you

Only you can let it in

No one else, no one else

Can speak the words on your lips


Drench yourself in words unspoken

Live your life with arms wide open

Today is where your book begins

The rest is still unwritten


No Hopers, Jokers, and Rogues

arr. Anna Tabush

Words and Music by Rupert Christie & Tom Gilbert


Come all you no-hopers, you jokers and rogues

We're on the road to nowhere, let's find out where it goes

It might be a ladder to the stars, who knows?


Come all you no-hopers, you jokers and rogues

Leave all your furrows in the fields where they lie

Your factories and offices, kiss them all goodbye

Have a little faith in the dream-maker in the sky

There's glory in believing in

And it's all in the beholder's eye


Come all you no-hopers, you jokers and rogues

We're on the road to nowhere, let's find out where it goes

It might be a ladder to the stars, who knows?


Come all you no-hopers, you jokers and rogues

Turn off your engines and slow down your wheels

Suddenly your master plan loses its appeal

Everybody knows that this reality's not real

So raise a glass to all things past

And celebrate how good it feels


Come all you no-hopers, you jokers and rogues

We're on the road to nowhere, let's find out where it goes

It might be a ladder to the stars, who knows?


Come all you no-hopers, you jokers and rogues

Awash on the sea of our own vanity

We should rejoice in our individuality

Though it's gale force, we'll steer a course

With sanity


Come all you no-hopers, you jokers and rogues

We're on the road to nowhere, let's find out where it goes

It might be a ladder to the stars, who knows?

Come all you no-hopers, you jokers and rogues


Come all you no-hopers, you jokers and rogues

We're on the road to nowhere, let's find out where it goes

It might be a ladder to the stars, who knows?

Come all you no-hopers, you jokers

And rogues

Blue Purple Minimalist Thank You Postcard (Website).png

Our mission is accessibility to high-quality music. We achieve this by performing for FREE in a variety of venues. Your donation helps provide for BonaVox administratively, compensates our singers for their time and training, and is an investment in the enrichment of your community. We hope to never charge admission for our self-produced concerts so that EVERYONE can enjoy beautiful music.

We are a 501(c)(3) registered nonprofit and donations are tax deductible.

You can donate with cash in person, a personal check made out to BonaVox SWLA, and Paypal @bonavoxswla

Our website also has an online store.

Talk to us about upcoming sponsorship opportunities via info@bonavoxswla.org or in person

BV_Logo_2_edited_edited.png

Contact Us:     info@bonavoxswla.org

  • Facebook
  • Instagram

©2025 by BonaVox SWLA. Created with Wix.com

Subscribe to get exclusive updates

bottom of page