Technology has been a wonderful tool in making Song of Peace grow in the way that it has. Much of the project's reach has been through email, and the ability to have a website to share everything from repertoire ideas and performances to logos and photos has been phenomenal.
But it creates real problems when that - as the primary "venue" for this organization - suffers problems.
The website itself is in good shape at the moment - the problem is that my web authoring software has developed a glitch. I don't know if it's the software or the computer itself which is having problems today, but I'm now on the search for different web software which will allow me to build the site in the same way that I have been - without having to reformat each and every line and entry.
Thank goodness I learned some HTML principles when I was in college - and coding was just about the only way to create a page. Not being a programmer at heart, I admit I find the software that has been developed since then to be extremely useful - and I wish mine had waited another few weeks to start to crash.
For now though, I'm back to the search and the coding.... I expect the web updates will be a bit slower for the next few days until I fix the problem or until I get much more familiar with whatever new software I find. Please stay tuned...
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Friday, March 14, 2008
We've Begun
Song of Peace has officially begun!
I wanted to write this closer to the beginning of the month, but things do not always go as planned. Nonetheless, here are some reports of Song of Peace events that have taken place thus far. All comments are excerpted, and are from participants unless otherwise mentioned:
Hope for Peace & Justice, March 1, Dallas, Texas
The Dallas Voice described the March 1 event as "an inspirational call for peace":
The audience packed the Meyerson Symphony Center to celebrate the living legend at the first annual Voices of Peace Award ceremony. The award was bestowed by Hope for Peace & Justice, a human rights and peace activist committee.
The afternoon program started with a bonanza of musical performances, video montages and speeches. The Meyerson stage was overflowing with a staggering number singers and symphonic musicians: members of the Turtle Creek Chorale, The Women’s Chorus of Dallas, The Cathedral of Hope Sanctuary Choir, The Vocal Majority, Oak Lawn United Methodist Church and New Texas Symphony Orchestra. And then director Tim Seelig welcomed another group, the First Baptist Church male chorus that spiced up the prevailing solemn flavor with a boogie-worthy version of “Down By the Riverside.”
But 10-year-old dynamo Dalton Sherman winner of a Martin Luther King Jr oratory contest practically stole the show with his spirited analysis of MLK’s sermon “The Drum Major Instinct.”
And then, with the help of a wooden cane, Angelou made her entrance. Her hour-long talk was inspired by a lyric: “When it look like the sun ain’t shining no more, you become my rainbow.” And like the master wordsmith she is, Angelou spun the stanza into gold.
While we enter the fifth year of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the sky looks dreadfully cloudy, but the Meyerson was filled with rainbows of hope.
A participant in the Hope for Peace and Justice event sent these comments:
"We are all very excited to be part of this world wide project, as well as being gratified that we as everyday folks can do something tangible for peace and an end to violence."
Nannup Music Festival, March 1 & 2, Nannup, Western Australia
"What a wonderful idea! Both of our workshops went well with lots of new people learning Dona Nobis Pacem for the first time."
First Parish in Lexington, March 2, Lexington, Massachussets
This article appeared in the local paper on February 27:
On March 2, First Parish in Lexington, Unitarian Universalist, will take part in the international Song of Peace project with a worship service entitled “Creating Peace." During the 10:30 a.m. service, artists from the First Parish congregation will speak, including assistant minister Rev. Laura Cavicchio and music director Dr. Suzanne Jubenville. The service will explore the ways in which the creative arts can be used to build a better world. The First Parish Adult Choir will sing Neil Ginsberg’s “Bells Ring for Peace,” which concludes with a prayer for peace in eight languages. After the service, the First Parish congregation will exit the church singing “Dona Nobis Pacem” as a public statement of their commitment to creating peace.
Sanctuary Concert Series, March 2, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Song of Peace, March 8, Albany, Western Australia
I wanted to write this closer to the beginning of the month, but things do not always go as planned. Nonetheless, here are some reports of Song of Peace events that have taken place thus far. All comments are excerpted, and are from participants unless otherwise mentioned:
Hope for Peace & Justice, March 1, Dallas, Texas
The Dallas Voice described the March 1 event as "an inspirational call for peace":
The audience packed the Meyerson Symphony Center to celebrate the living legend at the first annual Voices of Peace Award ceremony. The award was bestowed by Hope for Peace & Justice, a human rights and peace activist committee.
The afternoon program started with a bonanza of musical performances, video montages and speeches. The Meyerson stage was overflowing with a staggering number singers and symphonic musicians: members of the Turtle Creek Chorale, The Women’s Chorus of Dallas, The Cathedral of Hope Sanctuary Choir, The Vocal Majority, Oak Lawn United Methodist Church and New Texas Symphony Orchestra. And then director Tim Seelig welcomed another group, the First Baptist Church male chorus that spiced up the prevailing solemn flavor with a boogie-worthy version of “Down By the Riverside.”
But 10-year-old dynamo Dalton Sherman winner of a Martin Luther King Jr oratory contest practically stole the show with his spirited analysis of MLK’s sermon “The Drum Major Instinct.”
And then, with the help of a wooden cane, Angelou made her entrance. Her hour-long talk was inspired by a lyric: “When it look like the sun ain’t shining no more, you become my rainbow.” And like the master wordsmith she is, Angelou spun the stanza into gold.
While we enter the fifth year of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the sky looks dreadfully cloudy, but the Meyerson was filled with rainbows of hope.
A participant in the Hope for Peace and Justice event sent these comments:
"We are all very excited to be part of this world wide project, as well as being gratified that we as everyday folks can do something tangible for peace and an end to violence."
Nannup Music Festival, March 1 & 2, Nannup, Western Australia
"What a wonderful idea! Both of our workshops went well with lots of new people learning Dona Nobis Pacem for the first time."
First Parish in Lexington, March 2, Lexington, Massachussets
This article appeared in the local paper on February 27:
On March 2, First Parish in Lexington, Unitarian Universalist, will take part in the international Song of Peace project with a worship service entitled “Creating Peace." During the 10:30 a.m. service, artists from the First Parish congregation will speak, including assistant minister Rev. Laura Cavicchio and music director Dr. Suzanne Jubenville. The service will explore the ways in which the creative arts can be used to build a better world. The First Parish Adult Choir will sing Neil Ginsberg’s “Bells Ring for Peace,” which concludes with a prayer for peace in eight languages. After the service, the First Parish congregation will exit the church singing “Dona Nobis Pacem” as a public statement of their commitment to creating peace.
Sanctuary Concert Series, March 2, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
"We had a wonderful concert here in Pittsburgh on March 2. Our total attendance was about 250 people and everyone I talked to after the concert was so impressed and moved by the experience. We think this was the best of any of the now over 50 concerts we have produced, and it made a statement that went beyond music. We want to thank you for inspiring us to do the best job that we could do."
World Children's Choir, March 8, Arlington, Virginia
World Children's Choir, March 8, Arlington, Virginia
"We had videographers at the concert on Saturday night - students from the Arlington Career Center came. They will make a DVD of the performance that will include close-ups, etc. One of our singer's parents has a viral marketing business, and he is going to put the concert performance of Sing for Peace video clip on You Tube. Thank you and everyone who worked to establish this movement. I'm sure we will have many, many more singers next March."
Song of Peace, March 8, Albany, Western Australia
"We had a joyful celebration yesterday afternoon - the church was filled to capacity with just over 200 of us gathered there. I had done a radio interview earlier in the week, and following that I received phone calls from folks 100 km north and west of Albany who then travelled in to be with us. As people arrived in the afternoon, several said how much they were looking forward to the community singing a the end. We sang "By the Waters of Babylon", conducted by Teresa as a round including all two hundred of us, plus Amazing Grace, Morning Has Broken and Lord of all Hopefulness which is based on an Irish melody and reminded us to think of that country with thankfulness. Many people wanted to pay as they came in but instead we encouraged them to make an offering to the Red Cross International as they left - there was A$430.00 in the bowl! I was delighted at school today to hear from many others how much they appreciated the celebration on Saturday. Several people said afterwards that they were looking forward to 2009 but warned that we may need a bigger venue!"
Vocal Studio Performance Class, March 8, Los Altos, California
"In order to participate in this project, a group of singers sang the Latin traditional round of Dona Nobis Pacem at my voice class today. It was very nice as our accompanist for the class Paul Rosas played piano for part of the 3-4 times we sang the round, and then dropped out and joined us singing. What an amazing project... I hope hoping more people can incorporate some form of participation into their lives, formally or informally."
Choral Arts of Chattanooga & Lee University Chorale, March 13, Chattanooga, Tennessee
An article from the Chattanooga Pulse on March 12 promoting the March 13 concert:
On Thursday, March 13, Chattanooga joins the global link [Song of Peace] as Choral Arts of Chattanooga and the Lee University Chorale present the local premiere of “Dona Nobis Pacem,” Vaughan Williams’ powerful cantata for soprano and baritone soli, chorus and orchestra, set to words by Walt Whitman, Wilfred Owen and the Bible. Song of Peace concerts are taking place worldwide during March, and on the 13th, 14th and 15th alone, performances are scheduled from England to Israel to Australia, and in the U.S., from Maryland to California.
“Dona Nobis Pacem had been on my mind for some time, without knowing that this initiative was going on,” said Dr. William Green, CAC director. “It is very moving for me personally, and I had a passion to present it to our community.
“Vaughan Williams was a medic during World War I, and Walt Whitman was a medic during the Civil War. These were men who had lived through war. But I feel the appeal to peace is also about things like the recent school shootings—that we can solve problems without violence, that our ultimate goal is peace.”
Dr. Green read an e-mail from the organizers of the Song of Peace Project, he said, “and it was as though many minds were being pulled together by the magnet of the same idea.”
More stories, pictures, and audio clips will be posted on the Song of Peace website soon.
Vocal Studio Performance Class, March 8, Los Altos, California
"In order to participate in this project, a group of singers sang the Latin traditional round of Dona Nobis Pacem at my voice class today. It was very nice as our accompanist for the class Paul Rosas played piano for part of the 3-4 times we sang the round, and then dropped out and joined us singing. What an amazing project... I hope hoping more people can incorporate some form of participation into their lives, formally or informally."
Choral Arts of Chattanooga & Lee University Chorale, March 13, Chattanooga, Tennessee
An article from the Chattanooga Pulse on March 12 promoting the March 13 concert:
On Thursday, March 13, Chattanooga joins the global link [Song of Peace] as Choral Arts of Chattanooga and the Lee University Chorale present the local premiere of “Dona Nobis Pacem,” Vaughan Williams’ powerful cantata for soprano and baritone soli, chorus and orchestra, set to words by Walt Whitman, Wilfred Owen and the Bible. Song of Peace concerts are taking place worldwide during March, and on the 13th, 14th and 15th alone, performances are scheduled from England to Israel to Australia, and in the U.S., from Maryland to California.
“Dona Nobis Pacem had been on my mind for some time, without knowing that this initiative was going on,” said Dr. William Green, CAC director. “It is very moving for me personally, and I had a passion to present it to our community.
“Vaughan Williams was a medic during World War I, and Walt Whitman was a medic during the Civil War. These were men who had lived through war. But I feel the appeal to peace is also about things like the recent school shootings—that we can solve problems without violence, that our ultimate goal is peace.”
Dr. Green read an e-mail from the organizers of the Song of Peace Project, he said, “and it was as though many minds were being pulled together by the magnet of the same idea.”
More stories, pictures, and audio clips will be posted on the Song of Peace website soon.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Everyone can play a part
I got two wonderful emails a couple of days ago. One was from a woman in Australia, who has created an event that seems to involve her whole town. There will be two community choirs, three school choirs, and one church choir, all singing simple rounds or hymns, so that everyone in the audience can join in as well. It is being called a "concert and community singing"and everyone is welcome. The spirit of the event is just perfect - music that everyone can find accessible, and all done with a spirit of community.
The other email came from a woman in Washington, who is going to propose to her fellow choir members that each pledge to sing for peace at some point in March, in some way that fits into their ordinary life, yet is also not a regular part of their life. Some of her ideas were: to take a moment at work, at church, in a regular choir rehearsal, and get everyone there to stop and sing a simple song, thinking about why those words mean something and what the importance of peace is to each individual person. This, too, is exactly what this project is hoping to achieve - that people stop for a moment and think about whether this is important to them, and that people who may not ordinarily make those kinds of moments for themselves are invited to do so by a friend or colleague or associate.
Every way of participating is important - from the large formal events in concert halls to the individual pledges of taking five minutes out of a regular day to share this mission with others - or even to make a point of thinking about it for oneself. It is amazing to think of what kinds of personal connections can be made in this way, and what kind of influence ordinary people can have on those around them.
We all have the power to make a change - we just need to find our own ways to do so.
The other email came from a woman in Washington, who is going to propose to her fellow choir members that each pledge to sing for peace at some point in March, in some way that fits into their ordinary life, yet is also not a regular part of their life. Some of her ideas were: to take a moment at work, at church, in a regular choir rehearsal, and get everyone there to stop and sing a simple song, thinking about why those words mean something and what the importance of peace is to each individual person. This, too, is exactly what this project is hoping to achieve - that people stop for a moment and think about whether this is important to them, and that people who may not ordinarily make those kinds of moments for themselves are invited to do so by a friend or colleague or associate.
Every way of participating is important - from the large formal events in concert halls to the individual pledges of taking five minutes out of a regular day to share this mission with others - or even to make a point of thinking about it for oneself. It is amazing to think of what kinds of personal connections can be made in this way, and what kind of influence ordinary people can have on those around them.
We all have the power to make a change - we just need to find our own ways to do so.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
In Memoriam Tom Lantos
I read with sadness this morning of the death of Tom Lantos, US Congressman from San Mateo (CA), from cancer of the esophagus. TIME described Lantos this morning as "a congressman who never tired of the fight for human rights around the globe."
Lantos was the Chairman of Congress's Committee on Foreign Affairs, was a founder of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, and was a member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. In his 27 years in Congress, Lantos established a reputation for speaking his mind and standing firmly for what he believed in.
The San Francisco Chronicle characterized Lantos this way: "In the nearly 60 years Tom Lantos spent in the United States, he never lost his Hungarian accent, his love for animals or his stubborn belief that political leaders have a duty to speak out against tyranny or oppression, wherever it occurs."
Many people will miss Rep. Lantos. Though I had never met him and have not lived in his district, I will miss his being a voice for California. I hope that his ideals - particularly that people have a duty to speak out against what they see as wrong, and to speak up for what they do believe in - will live on and that more of our politicians and citizens will live by those standards.
Lantos was the Chairman of Congress's Committee on Foreign Affairs, was a founder of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, and was a member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. In his 27 years in Congress, Lantos established a reputation for speaking his mind and standing firmly for what he believed in.
The San Francisco Chronicle characterized Lantos this way: "In the nearly 60 years Tom Lantos spent in the United States, he never lost his Hungarian accent, his love for animals or his stubborn belief that political leaders have a duty to speak out against tyranny or oppression, wherever it occurs."
Many people will miss Rep. Lantos. Though I had never met him and have not lived in his district, I will miss his being a voice for California. I hope that his ideals - particularly that people have a duty to speak out against what they see as wrong, and to speak up for what they do believe in - will live on and that more of our politicians and citizens will live by those standards.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
What does it take?
The front section of today's San Francisco Chronicle had a full page of articles about American violence. None of the articles were editorials - they were all news stories:
There are so many daily reports of this type of violence, so many stories about the sadness and loss experienced by the families and friends of the victims, so many questions raised about the punishments inflicted on the perpetrators - and yet similar stories continue to appear, and similar acts continue to occur.
What does it take for someone to realize that taking an innocent bystander's life is a horrible thing? That killing someone with whom you have a difference of opinion is not the way to solve that difference?
How do we, as a society, change this phenomenon?
- "Gunman was long at odds with City Hall" - about the man who killed 5 people and injured a 6th at a City Council meeting in Kirkwood, Missouri, on Thursday
- "Student kills 2 in class, and herself" - a 23-year-old woman walked into a class at a vocational college in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, then left, and then returned and shot two of her classmates on Friday
- "Man stabbed wife, then girlfriend" - in Portsmouth, Ohio, a man who had been ordered to stay at least 100 yards from his wife, who was filing for divorce, entered her place of work and stabbed her, fled, then attacked his new girlfriend a few blocks away
- "Man gets life for killing wife, shooting divorce judge" - reporting on the sentence handed down on a man in Reno, Nevada, who has admitted that he killed his estranged wife and shot the judge who handled their divorce.
There are so many daily reports of this type of violence, so many stories about the sadness and loss experienced by the families and friends of the victims, so many questions raised about the punishments inflicted on the perpetrators - and yet similar stories continue to appear, and similar acts continue to occur.
What does it take for someone to realize that taking an innocent bystander's life is a horrible thing? That killing someone with whom you have a difference of opinion is not the way to solve that difference?
How do we, as a society, change this phenomenon?
Sunday, February 3, 2008
All over the world
It's been an exciting week, with people joining the Song of Peace project from literally all different parts of the world. Last week we heard from two choirs in Georgia, plus one in Virginia, one in Ohio, one in Massachusetts, and one in England. This week, it's been a group from Colorado and one from Oregon - plus our first group in Australia. That means we're up to five official countries that have participants (with projects that are probable in three more), plus 17 US states. I wonder what this next week will bring??
Friday, February 1, 2008
One Month Away
It's February 1.
That means just one month to go before all the events start happening. We've had a lot of new groups join in the past month, and I hope February will bring in many, many more. It's inspiring that people are excited about joining this project, and feel that raising their voices is an important thing to do - wherever they are in the world. Thanks to all of you who are already part of this effort; if you're reading this and aren't yet part of the project, please join in - or invite a musician that you know to join us. Everyone is welcome.
And when March comes, I'll be inviting you to attend a performance!
That means just one month to go before all the events start happening. We've had a lot of new groups join in the past month, and I hope February will bring in many, many more. It's inspiring that people are excited about joining this project, and feel that raising their voices is an important thing to do - wherever they are in the world. Thanks to all of you who are already part of this effort; if you're reading this and aren't yet part of the project, please join in - or invite a musician that you know to join us. Everyone is welcome.
And when March comes, I'll be inviting you to attend a performance!
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