Money speaks for money, the devil for his own/
Who comes to speak for the skin and the bone?
— “There Is Power in a Union” by Billy Bragg
The Pittsburgh Labor Choir invites the public to join them in singing union songs Sunday evening in Greensburg.
The ” ‘Power in a Union’ Sing-along” is named for a classic labor anthem written by British singer songwriter Billy Bragg, who happens to be performing at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at Greensburg’s Palace Theatre.
The free sing-along is from 4 to 5 p.m. on the lawn of the Quatrini Law Group at 550 E. Pittsburgh Street, less than a mile away. The company is supporting the event along with the Greater Westmoreland Central Labor Council.
The Pittsburgh Labor Choir performs all over the region, at events such as the Millvale Music Festival, and often standing on the picket lines with striking and rallying workers such as those involved in the 22-month Pittsburgh Post-Gazette strike. Attendees may donate to those workers’ Pittsburgh Striker Fund and/or make a donation for a T-shirt.
Everyone can be boosted by the songs, which “almost all focus on compassion, hope and standing up for yourself,” says choir member Zach Frenchek, who grew up in Greensburg.
And anyone can sing them — “no experience necessary,” as he and other members always say. Even if you think of yourself as a non-singer, you’ll recognize familiar melodies in some songs, and you can quickly learn the catchy refrains of others. Many of the songs, like the choir itself, have Western Pennsylvania origins.
“These are meaningful songs and good music” that will really come to life at this “rare chance to have a wonderful big sing-along,” says choir Director Edwin Everhart.
The event’s media advisory takes inspiration from Bragg songs such as “Never Cross a Picket Line” and “Which Side Are You On” and says his music “inspires four
decades of listeners to find solidarity in the power of the people, for social movements within the United Kingdom, the United States and beyond.”
Bragg is touring the U.S. after last year’s release of his “The Roaring Forty 1983-2023” box set of hits including “There Is Power in a Union,” which he first released on his breakout 1986 CD, “Talking to the Taxman Bbout Poetry.” (There’s also a 1913 song by Joe Hill titled “There Is Power in a Union.”)
In an interview earlier this year with Jacobin, Bragg said of his show, “What I’m trying to do is fire people up, to recharge their activism and kick their cynicism to the curb. But I also have to talk about some issues that are going to challenge them.”
The Labor Choir ask that sing-along attendees bring folding chairs if possible. In the event of rain, that event will move indoors.
Otherwise, the Pittsburgh Labor Choir meets to sing from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. every Monday at Pittsburgh Friends Meeting House, 4836 Ellsworth Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213, and all are welcome to join in person (please wear a mask and bring songs or instruments if you’d like) or join virtually.
Bob, a feature writer and editor at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, is currently on strike and serving as interim editor of the Pittsburgh Union Progress. Contact him at bbatz@unionprogress.com.
