Calling singers and choirs to join in a global musical initiative for peace during March 2008
United States of America (Press Release) January 6, 2008 --
January 4, 2008 (San Francisco, CA) – March 2008 marks the fifth anniversary of the US entering Iraq. At that significant moment, the Song of Peace project seeks to turn attention from violent actions towards peace through a series of global musical peace performances. Singers around the world are joining the project by pledging to sing a setting of “Dona nobis pacem,” or words which call for peace in another language, during the month of March. Performances will occur throughout the month of March 2008, in locales all over the world.
The initiative was launched during Fall 2007, with the goal of getting thousands of singers around the world – or perhaps even one million singers - to turn their musical endeavors into a loud proclamation that peace in today’s world is of fundamental importance, at the moment which marks the anniversary of the start of the Iraq war. Song of Peace is not an “anti-war” project; it seeks simply to redirect public attention from the concept of war to the concept of peace, using music as the medium. The campaign is non-religious and non-political, and is not focused solely on the war in Iraq: it is a plea for peace for people affected by violence in Afghanistan, Burma, Congo, Darfur, Palestine, even the U.S. – and so many other places around the world.
Organizations can participate by adding a work which asks for peace to any concert in March 2008, or by scheduling a new event during March 2008 which includes the singing of words of peace. Events can range from formal concerts to informal gatherings at parks or public squares.
The project has been endorsed by the British choral director Sir David Willcocks (King's College, Cambridge; Royal College of Music, London), and by prominent conductors in the U.S. including John Alexander (Pacific Chorale), Tom Hall (Baltimore Choral Arts Society), Sondra Harnes (World Children's Choir), Alice Parker (Melodious Accord) and Duain Wolfe (Chicago Symphony Chorus, Colorado Symphony Chorus). Alexander, Parker and Wolfe are current Board Members of Chorus America, the American organization devoted to the choral music art form and to putting North America's choral ensembles on a path to growth and success; Hall is a former Board President of the organization.
Projects are currently being planned in the US, England, Israel, Palestine, South Africa, Sweden, Trinidad/Tobago and Cameroon. New projects are still being sought.
Further information, including participating choruses, performances, repertoire suggestions, additional background and ways to become involved can be found at www.songofpeace.org.
The initiative was launched during Fall 2007, with the goal of getting thousands of singers around the world – or perhaps even one million singers - to turn their musical endeavors into a loud proclamation that peace in today’s world is of fundamental importance, at the moment which marks the anniversary of the start of the Iraq war. Song of Peace is not an “anti-war” project; it seeks simply to redirect public attention from the concept of war to the concept of peace, using music as the medium. The campaign is non-religious and non-political, and is not focused solely on the war in Iraq: it is a plea for peace for people affected by violence in Afghanistan, Burma, Congo, Darfur, Palestine, even the U.S. – and so many other places around the world.
Organizations can participate by adding a work which asks for peace to any concert in March 2008, or by scheduling a new event during March 2008 which includes the singing of words of peace. Events can range from formal concerts to informal gatherings at parks or public squares.
The project has been endorsed by the British choral director Sir David Willcocks (King's College, Cambridge; Royal College of Music, London), and by prominent conductors in the U.S. including John Alexander (Pacific Chorale), Tom Hall (Baltimore Choral Arts Society), Sondra Harnes (World Children's Choir), Alice Parker (Melodious Accord) and Duain Wolfe (Chicago Symphony Chorus, Colorado Symphony Chorus). Alexander, Parker and Wolfe are current Board Members of Chorus America, the American organization devoted to the choral music art form and to putting North America's choral ensembles on a path to growth and success; Hall is a former Board President of the organization.
Projects are currently being planned in the US, England, Israel, Palestine, South Africa, Sweden, Trinidad/Tobago and Cameroon. New projects are still being sought.
Further information, including participating choruses, performances, repertoire suggestions, additional background and ways to become involved can be found at www.songofpeace.org.
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