The album – BRIDGE TO PEACE - is made up of five new compositions – one by a Russian composer, one by a Ukrainian, one by an Iranian, one by an Israeli and, one – “BRIDGE TO PEACE: Invocation” by American composer, Kim D. Sherman. This title single expresses a single sentiment and lyric, “Make peace on all your lands” set in fifteen world languages.

 

“Invocation” was first developed by Kim D. Sherman as part of a project sponsored by the UN Global Women’s Peace Initiative. She chose the 15 languages by walking around her diverse Washington Heights neighborhood and simply asking her neighbors how to say “Make peace on all your lands” in their language of origin. She recorded each person speaking the text so she understood the cadences required to set each one musically. The piece has gone through many iterations, including a version for solo soprano, cello and orchestra that was debuted live in war-torn Ukraine this April with the internationally-acclaimed Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra.

 

Soprano Allison Charney, cellist Peter Seidenberg and conductor Benjamin Loeb were the first western guest artists to appear with the Lviv National Philharmonic since the onset of the war.

 

The brand new composition, “BRIDGE TO PEACE: INVOCATION” - recorded in Lviv, Ukraine, Los Angeles, California and Brooklyn, NY with the PREformances-Lviv Chamber Ensemble conducted by Benjamin Loeb,  featuring soprano Allison Charney, baritone Will Liverman, violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins, cellist Peter Seidenberg and members of the Lviv National Philharmonic - will be released as a single on Lexicon Classics August 16th, 2024. The single was produced by Allison Charney and Jonathan Estabrooks along with co-producers Jeff Keswin and Peter Seidenberg.

 

“BRIDGE TO PEACE” is not meant to be a statement about politics but one about our shared humanity. By focusing on what we have in common, perhaps society can build a lasting bridge to peace. Of course, this album is only a drop in the bucket, but the hope is that with enough drops, the bucket of goodness may – one day – overflow.