THE EU SONGBOOK

The EU Songbook

Hubert von Goisern featured in the first EU Songbook

After 70 years of exchanging coal, steel, and fish, the time has come for a more heartfelt exchange in the European Union: that of musical treasures. The 1st EU Songbook, a cultural milestone compiled by civil society, independently of EU institutions, is finally finished after nine years of work. The six Austrian songs, chosen in a public vote in 2015, are now being presented - and include two from Hubert von Goisern.

The motto of the European Union, "unity in diversity", seems to have found a lasting form in this new symbol of the peoples, consisting of democratically selected songs. The EU Songbook was completed with support from over 100 music organisations and conservatories and public votes reported by more than 400 media outlets. More than 87,000 citizens in the 27 member states were involved from 2015 to 2024. A total of 164 songs, six from each country, are presented in both their 25 original languages and singable "European English".

The Austrian contribution

In 2015, the following six popular Austrian songs were chosen in a public vote by 3,103 Austrians, with the participation of the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz (KUG) and the Styrian Folk Song Society:

• Freedom & Peace – Brenna tuats guat (Hubert von Goisern)
• Love Songs – Weit, weit weg (Hubert von Goisern)
• Nature & Seasons – In die Berg bin i gern (folk song)
• Folk songs & Traditionals – Kein schöner Land in dieser Zeit (A. W. v. Zuccalmaglio)
• Faith & Spirituality – Stille Nacht (Franz Gruber/Joseph Mohr)
• Children's Songs – Aber Heidschi bumbeitschi (folk song/traditional)

Two of Austria's finest musicians, the bilingual singer-songwriter Alicia Edelweiss (HvG Culture Award winner 2022) and composer Lorenz Maierhofer, accepted the challenge of creating singable "European" English translations of the Austrian contributions—a task directly supported by the Minister of Culture. Alicia Edelweiss reflects on her work with the two songs by Hubert von Goisern: "My challenge was to create a text that could stand alone as a song. I wanted to find words and expressions that had the same poetic flavor as the original, that conveyed the same feeling, but were not necessarily literal translations. My songwriting definitely evolved in the process as I had to work outside my usual writing style and topics."

The EU Songbook is now available in print and as an app throughout the EU, the United Kingdom, and the USA. The app, consisting of all 164 titles and YouTube links, can be downloaded free - either via the App Store or Google Play.