Peace Project
How it all began
In the first few months of the pandemic, our life revolved around our immediate family. We went out very little, spent literally hours together, working, cooking, eating, learning, worrying, and with two teenagers and a little one, this was an intense time. Conversations about the pandemic were steeped in uncertainty and fear, and this manifested in many things, but for my youngest it was insomnia. She would write letters to elderly relatives urging them to stay well and sleep would no longer come easily. I drew on every song I could compose and knew and, of course, drew on the songs that were sung to me as a child. I remember distinctly hearing my friend and colleague Shawn Kirchner performing ‘All through the Night’ as one of his nightly vespers and suddenly I was this little girl again, in my grandparent’s house, with my older sister, being sung to - the memory was vivid: “All Through the Night,” our first song.
What was once a well-known English hymn and a casual conversation with Shawn about arranging it for 3 vocal parts, became 12 songs, curated by the two of us in the midst of the chaos of those first few months of the pandemic. The songs were put together in such a way that spending 32 minutes embedded in their sound world would create calm, soothe the mind, and create a feeling of peace.
As a former family doctor from the UK, living in the United States, unable to contribute medically to this suffering and loss, I could create sounds that I hoped would ease this anxiety that we were seeing on a global scale.
Dedications
Of course, the final piece on the album, All Through the Night, is dedicated to my grandparents Joan and Desmond Hoysted. Little did they know what impact their musical offering would have on me at this time. I am grateful for all those, including my parents, who brought music into my life at a young age, so much so that I couldn’t imagine ever living without it.
Track 3, Angel Band, is dedicated to Dr. Sue Pritchard, a friend, and colleague who worked tirelessly for the NHS all her working life, and was a beloved doctor to so many in Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire, UK. I worked with her in the NHS in Oxfordshire in the late 1990’s. She died in January 2021 after battling cancer for many months. She was a wonderful wife and friend, who traveled the world and always lived life to the fullest, and she will be keenly missed by all who knew and were touched by her.
Harriet Fraser and Dr. Sue Pritchard
Track 5, Silver, is for Molly. Molly Steinsapir died at the age of 12 after a biking accident, in February 2021. I knew her from my work music directing at the Theater Palisades. My daughters knew her too, and my youngest, Elodie pictured here with Molly, was her friend. In fact, Molly looked after her tirelessly during our production of Guys and Dolls. I always knew she was in good hands. Molly was serious, smart, questioning, helpful, wise, diligent and worked so hard to bring out the very best in herself and others. She loved the moon and had the perfect view from the window at the front of her family house.
Please read more about how Molly is still inspiring others to do good in the world, and consider donating to her foundation: www.mollysteinsapir.com
Thank You to the Peace Team
Shawn Kirchner
Shawn Kirchner’s choral works, which often fuse classical craft with traditional folk material, are performed throughout the world. An adept pianist who also sings with the Los Angeles Master Chorale, Kirchner rose to prominence in the choral community during his tenure as the Master Chorale's Composer in Residence.
Dana Nielsen
Dana Nielsen is a Grammy-nominated producer, mixer, engineer and multi-instrumentalist known for his work with Adele, Neil Young, Bob Dylan and countless others.