Salt and Light Home Concert (excerpt)

The Salt and Light youth choir from St. Andrew UMC in Plano, TX performing at their home concert on Wednesday, July 2, 2008. Included are the songs 'Prayer of the Children' and 'For the Sake of Our Children'. I am the cellist in the second song, and the second from the right on the top row in the first song.

Prayer of the Children has an interesting history. Included in the piece of music is the following foreword by the publishers:

From 1977 to 1979, Kurt Bestor lived in the former country of Yugoslavia. Living and traveling extensively throughout this beautiful land, Bestor learned to love the people of Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia & Herzegovina. When the devastating civil war broke out there; he struggled with just what to do. There was no financial contribution to be made or opportunity to fight alongside his friends. Besides - which side could he choose to be allied with? He loves them all equally. In a moment of frustration, Bestor sat at his keyboard and started humming a simple plaintive melody and with it penned the words, "Can you hear the prayer of the children?" In a matter of a few hours, he had written the entire song. After singing it for a few friends and family members, Bestor put it aside, never intending to sing it again.

Then, on a whim, he sang it in a concert. The response was overwhelming. At the end of the performance, the deafening silence followed by thunderous applause, convinced the composer/perfomer that he would never perform again without including this special anthem. Usually sung with the vocalist vocal synthesizer, Bestor has performed the piece thousands of times for a myriad of causes.

Prayer of the Children is unique in its universal message, sacred - yet simple melody, and haunting words. Today - it's message is as pertinent as it was at its conception when Bestor dedicated it to the children of the former country of Yugoslavia.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• prayer
• of
• the
• children
• for
• sake
• our
• salt
• and
• light
• choir
• tour
• home
• concert
• cello
• mens
• youth

[JC1939]

Go!!!!!!!!! Jillian Grandpa

[despaind]

Pretty good. Kurt Bestor sings this solo with a synthesizer. I have heard him sing it many times at a concert in SLC, UT. It sends chills down your spine. If you get a chance, come to one of Kurt Bestor Christmas concerts in SLC, UT.  They are really something. He always sings Prayer of the Children. Some of your hamronies are wrong, but fair.

[kalmiko]

love this song