Compiled by Jeff Piker, Music Coordinator – Updated Feb 20, 2017
Note: one addition – the 24-page programme for the Remembrance Day event at the Isabel, 11 Nov. 2016. It is item #7, below.
LEFT: Yessica Rivera Belsham at the 2016 Hiroshima Day Ceremony RIGHT: Jeff Piker and Andy Rush performing at Remembering for Peace November 2015
Here at PeaceQuest in Kingston, we believe that music can play an important role in our collective efforts for peace and social justice. The 17 items listed below provide a comprehensive look at how we have made music part of our work. Each has a brief description and a link to further information.
We divide our work into four streams of activity, which are identified at our website: Culture, Education, Faith and Policy. Music has clear relevance for all four streams.
People connect with music in ways they might not connect with other kinds of presentations. Music is heartfelt. It can also be incredibly thought-provoking – for learners of all ages. Plus of course, music is entertaining.
We hope this list will be helpful to your efforts for peace. Let us know your suggestions about any item(s) on this list and comments about your own experiences using music in peace work. Please contact us if we can be of further assistance. Each website item on the list has ‘comment’ space at the bottom, or you can click the ‘contact’ link at our website.
- Songs about peace and war
160 song titles (old and new – from Canada, U.S. and elsewhere – title, composer, date) + eight publications.
- Classical and choral music about peace and war
35 pieces of music (old and new – from many places, including Kingston – title, composer, date, brief notes) + six publications.
- 7 songs for Remembrance Day
Especially powerful songs about war…and peace (lest we forget) + notes + Youtube links.
- ‘Universal Soldier’: a call to disarm
Reflection about the relevance today of this 60’s anthem. The piece was written at the time of Buffy Sainte-Marie’s recent concert in Kingston (she did sing this song). Includes song lyrics plus link to a Youtube version.
- Hollerado’s ‘So It Goes’: song and video
The band, Hollerado’s “So It Goes” – a song about life-altering experiences of band member Menno’s grandfather during and right after WW II, while fighting for the Dutch Resistance in German-occupied Holland. Link to a 9-minute Youtube video in which Menno tells the story and Hollerado does the song. Song lyrics are included.
- ‘The World Remembers: An Evening for Peace’ is sold out
Overview (with photos) of a different kind of Remembrance Day event – held Nov. 11, 2016 at The Isabel Bader Centre in Kingston.
7. Programme for ‘The World Remembers’
The 24-page programme provides an excellent picture of what happened at the event. Because of wonderful advertising support from local businesses, the programme was twice its originally planned length, enabling increased space for text and graphics about the event. This is the final (print-ready) version, so it needed to be in two parts.
8. Announcing PeaceSong
Describes a community-based singing project planned and led by Kingston singer-songwriter, Wendy Luella Perkins, in collaboration with Kingston Community Health Centres and PeaceQuest-Kingston.
9. Hands United for Peace
Resources concerning a creative peace education project for grade 4-5 students, delivered in Kingston during the 2015-6 school year by a partnership of a faith community, a public school and a volunteer-based peace group. Includes a description of the project (with photos of the project in action), a detailed evaluation of the project’s outcomes and an overview of students’ comments about it and what they learned. Music had a key role in the project.
10. Guest blog: ‘Songs commemorating WW I’
Highlights Eric Bogle’s classic song, ‘The Greenfields of France’, and presents its role in a PeaceQuest-Kingston public event held to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the Christmas truces in W. W. I. Includes a video of the performance of the song at the event, plus a link to Bogle’s Youtube version.
11. ‘Thank you’ to all who attended our ChristmasTruce event
Photos plus video clip of Al Rankin’s marvellous performance of John McCutcheon’s song, ‘Christmas in the trenches’ , at this well-attended event in Dec. 2014.
12. ‘Everybody Sing for Peace’: Success!
Presents a Sunday afternoon community sing-along at Sydenham St. United Church in Jan. 2015, organized by PeaceQuest-Kingston in partnership with Cantabile Choirs of Kingston. Provides links to local media coverage of the event, and to two marvellous collections of photos of the event.
13. Conversation with Martyn Joseph (about using music in work for social justice & peace)
Few people anywhere blend music and work for peace and social justice more strongly or effectively than this Welsh singer/songwriter. Notes taken of a conversation with Martyn the morning after his nearly sold-out concert in Kingston, spring 2015.
14. In memory of a great peace visionary – Pete Seeger: “Tomorrow is a highway”
Lyrics and Youtube link for Pete’s song, ‘Tomorrow is a highway’. Plus two great photos: one of a young Pete performing at an outdoor folk-music gathering, the other of his banjo. (Trivia question: Do you remember what he wrote on his banjo head?) Posted in Feb. 2014, a month after he died.
15. Martyn Joseph concert fundraiser
Displays promo material for a 2014 Martyn Joseph concert organized by PeaceQuest-Kingston in partnership with Sydenham St. United Church.
16. Concert: Till the Boys Come Home 2014
Poster for June 2014 concert, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sailing of Canada’s first troops to participate in W. W. I.
17. Shelter: An atomic cartoon opera
Poster + overview of a 2014 performance of an ‘atomic cartoon opera about a nuclear family adrift in the atomic age.’