Ireland's Voices for Peace

Ireland's Voices for Peace creates a mood of peaceful reflection. It brings together a variety of choirs through the special unifying and healing power of choral music.

Ireland's Voices for Peace is an album which forms the first stage in a larger project, the formation of a cross-border Children's Choir Trust. This project will enable children from all over Ireland to participate in a Summer choir school, providing an invaluable step in fostering the spirit of co-operation and understanding among a new generation. All net profits from the sale of the album will be donated by Viking Records towards this worthwhile cause.

The concept dates from July, 1998, when lasting peace was almost tangible for the first time. This sense of hope was deeply shaken by the tragic Omagh bombing on August 15th. However, the resulting desire for renewed peace strengthened the aims of the project "Out of darkness came light."

These sentiments are poignantly expressed in the title track Voices for Peace, sung in remembrance of the victims of the Omagh tragedy. This track combines children from four choirs, North and South, Catholic and Protestant, joined with the Irish Philharmonic Chorus, in the uplifting arrangement of the old Irish hymn, Deus Meus Adiuva Me (My God, Help Me!) The track entitled Colours of Peace sets a poem by twelve-year-old Sean McLaughlin from Buncrana who also lost his life on that day in Omagh. It is dedicated to all the children who have died in the troubles over the last thirty years.

There is something for everyone on this album - the well-known favourites: Bring Him Home, You'll Never Walk Alone and Amazing Grace; choral masterpieces: Be Still My Soul, Steal Away and Mozart's Ave Verum Corpus, together with new arrangements of Irish traditional melodies. The message of the album is enhanced by the guest appearances of acclaimed soprano Maureen Murphy, the award-winning boy soprano Donal Keaveney from Cór na nÓg RTÉ and girl soprano Michelle McCoy who joins Donal in Colours of Peace.

Choral music speaks to people on an emotional level and in so doing, transcends language, creed and culture. Ireland's Voices for Peace has the potential to strengthen the hope and resolve for a lasting peace.

Ireland's Voices for Peace is under the baton of Choral Director, Blánaid Murphy, who developed the concept of this album. She is well known as Musical Director of the Faith of Our Fathers choir, Canzona Chamber Choir and Cór na nÓg RTÉ.