Description
After 70 years of trading coal, steel, and fish, Europe now shares something more soulful: song treasures! The EU Songbook, independent of EU institutions and winner of the European Citizens’ Prize 2023, features 164 representative songs from all 27 member states.
Selected by choir singers, music students, and teachers from 103 music NGOs and conservatories, the songs were finalised through 27 public votes, engaging over 87,000 citizens and 400 media outlets. Curated over nine years, the collection spans six categories: ‘Freedom & Peace’, ‘Love Songs’, ‘Nature & Seasons’, ‘Folk Songs & Traditionals’, ‘Faith & Spirituality’, and ‘Children’s Songs’, reflecting Europe’s rich cultural diversity. With lyrics in 25 original languages and singable English, the EU Songbook invites song lovers worldwide to celebrate European heritage through concerts, festivals, and everyday life, including Europe Day on May 9th. Each song is presented for solo voice, with chords, and with lyrics. QR-codes on all scores lead to a free app with links to original recordings, and a mosaic of introductions from 61 national editors, providing unique access to European (music) history through the six centuries.
The oldest song is a Greek Byzantine hymn, the youngest is a world-famous Portuguese love song from our millennium. The EU Songbook is intended for all song lovers in the EU, in candidate states or around the world where songs are sung: For good times and cultural dialogue, concerts, music education and interdisciplinary education
