In an insightful video on the creation of “Bridge to Peace; Invocation,” an epic recording featuring two of the U.S. most acclaimed operatic voices and Ukraine’s esteemed PREformances-Lviv Chamber Ensemble conducted by Benjamin Loeb, soprano Allison Charney relates an encounter she had with a guard when she was going through customs in Poland.
After he determined she could pass through, he asked her, “Aren’t you afraid?” She replied, “Should I be?” His ominous response, “You never know what Putin could do.” The vocalist’s determination to cross into Ukraine to participate in this historic recording session, regardless of potential danger, perfectly captures the belief that somehow, some way, love, creativity and collective musical passion – and the eternal goodwill they generate - always wins out over momentary fear and anxiety. Once in Lviv, Charney marveled how “normal” city life there seemed – except for the noticeable fact that there were no men 25-60 milling around, because they were all off fighting this seemingly endless two-and-a-half year war against Russian aggression.
This is the tension-filled backdrop behind the is exquisitely performed, emphatically hopeful and forward thinking five minute-plus piece of operatic and orchestral brilliance first developed by Kim D. Sherman, a prolific composer whose extensive resume includes works in the realms of chamber and choral music, musical theatre and opera. Her commission was part of a project sponsored by the UN Global Women’s Peace Initiative. Though like most powerful opera, the rising emotional intensity of the voices takes precedence over understanding the words they sing, the lyrics and messaging here are highly significant.
Sherman chose the 15 languages used for “Bridge to Peace: Invocation” by simply walking around her culturally eclectic Washington Heights, NY neighborhood and asking her neighbors how to say the phrase “Make peace on all your lands” in their native language. So as much as the piece being recorded in Ukraine makes it an urgent musical prayer for peace in Eastern Europe, it’s also a celebration of diversity and the common humanity we all share despite our different countries and cultures of origin, races and religions. This reflects the overarching mission of this song and any complex, logistically challenging labor of love like it – the notion that if we focus on what we share rather than what divides us, we can embark on a path towards a more peaceful, sustainable future. Music is truly that bridge of hope we always cling to despite the odds.
Sherman recorded each person speaking the text to help her grasp the cadences required to set each one to music. The slowly evolving, multi-movement piece has gone through numerous iterations, most notably a version for solo soprano, cello and orchestra that was debuted live in Ukraine in April 2024 with the Lviv National Philharmonic. Charney, cellist Peter Seidenberg and Benjamin Loeb were the first western guest artists to appear with this ensemble since the onset of the war.
Produced by Charney and Jonathan Estabrooks along with co-producers Jeff Keswin and cellist Peter Seidenberg, the released single of “Bridge to Peace: Invocation” includes glorious (and often surreal, intertwining) performances by Charney and Grammy winning baritone Will Liverman as well as solo spotlights for Seiderberg and violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins.
The piece begins with the back-and-forth intonations of Charney and Liverman, backed by solo cello and violin that invite listeners to open their heart to the powerful presentation ahead. Backed by swelling strings, the two vocalists bare their souls with rich, soaring solo statements before joining forces in soaring harmonic solidarity. They then segue into a meditative flow, where their voices take on a more contemplative, prayerful tone over subtle, elegant strings.
Though we know they are singing the same words in different language, it feels like they’re engaging in a thoughtful, haunting dialogue, as if recognizing the severity of humanity’s current crises and the need to address, battle and somehow transcend it. This leads to another towering duet, where her heights and his depths swirl together rapturously, as if to confirm triumphantly that yes, we can do it. We can and must overcome the darkness. The orchestra gently ushers in a coda section, with their intense vocals reaching even more incredible heights as if to emphasize the urgency before a softly hypnotic close by the orchestra.
“Bridge to Peace: Invocation” will appear on an upcoming contemporary classical album featuring five new pieces, including ones alternately composed by a Russian, a Ukranian, Iranian and Israeli. Its creators admit that while the music is a call to action designed to inspire and provoke, they know it’s just a proverbial drop in the bucket.
Still, the hope is that it will motivate people to create their own drops in the bucket – “until just maybe, the bucket overflows with goodness, building a lasting bridge to peace on earth.” As a piece of modern classical music, “Bridge to Peace: Invocation” is exquisite personified. As a universal message, it’s priceless and timeless. May it always echo in our hearts…
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