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Fischia Il Vento

from Count Us In by Solidarity Choir

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about

During the Second World War resistance to Fascism and the Nazi occupation of Italy was carried out by courageous men and women organised into various political groupings. Known as the partisans, they would attack railway lines, bridges and other strategic targets, usually under cover of darkness, and their achievements greatly assisted the liberation of Italy in 1943 and 1944.

The commander of the “Garibaldi Battalion”, Felice Cascione, has been credited with writing the lyrics of this song, and although the attribution is uncertain it is certainly from the Left of the resistance.

Our version of the text came from Sydney’s Gay Liberation Quire in the late 1980’s where it had been changed to be less gender-specific.

Our version is considerably different from the song in its traditional form. The opening bars invoke the ominous gathering of dark war clouds, and the breaking of the storm is depicted by thunderous polyphony. A sense of unity is achieved in the partisans’ declaration of their purpose “to win a scarlet springtime” but the mood becomes uneasy as the danger is resumed, and the partisans march resolutely through two more verses. At the end there is a calming of the storm followed by a spontaneous clamour, in four part polyphony, amid the fluttering scarlet flags of victory.

lyrics

Fischia il vento infuria la bufera
Scarpe rotte eppur bisogna andar
A conquistare la rossa primavera
Dove sorge il sol del avvenir

Ogni contrada e patria del ribelle
Ogni donna a noi dona un sospir
Nella notte ci guidano le stelle
Forte il cuore il braccio nel colpir!

Se ci coglie la crudele morte
Dura vendetta sara del partigian
Ormai sicura sara la dura sorte
Del fascista vile traditor!

Cessa il vento. Calma e la bufera
Torna in casa il fiero partigian
Sventolando la rossa sua bandiera
Vittoriosi al fin liberi siam, liberi siam!

...

The wind whistles, the storm is raging
Broken shoes, and yet we must go on
To win a scarlet springtime
Where the future sun will rise

Every district is the rebel’s homeland
Every woman sighs for us
In the night the stars guide us
Strong are our hearts, our arms ready to strike

If cruel death harvests us
The partisans’ vengeance will be hard
Then a hard fate will be guaranteed
For the vile fascist traitor

The wind stops
The storm calms
The proud partisan returns home
His red flag fluttering
Victorious we are finally free

credits

from Count Us In, released March 31, 2021
Words: Felice Cascione c. 1943
Melody: ‘Katyusha’ Ukranian Folksong
Arranged: Miguel Heatwole 1990

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about

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Miguel Heatwole Sydney, Australia

Miguel’s a versatile singer, choral director & composer. His interests include folk & world music, political satire, the environment, trade unionism & the responsible enjoyment of alcohol. His songwriting embraces themes like peace & justice, the family cat, & visceral passionate attraction. His enthusiasm for recording community singing has let many people share the power of their songs. ... more

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