hymns of peace

TODAY marks the International Day of Peace. It’s appropriate, then, that Jubilate have today launched their Hymns of Peace and Remembrance collection – the outcome of their Hymns of Peace competition.

I entered this when I was battling virus number three, finally producing something on the day of the deadline. I was rather startled, therefore, to reach the shortlist. Also slightly relieved when I didn’t win – hard to remember what was inspiring me when I was hacking and wheezing away, so it would have been tricky to talk about! However, it just goes to show that even when we feel at our most useless, we can still produce something of worth.

It’s a tricky topic to write on as you are trying to respect a diverse array of opinions and experiences, so hymns and songs on this theme are always going to be appreciated. You can check out the whole collection here, and watch the video to accompany the winning entry by Ally Barrett. The collection is available to buy in both book and PDF format.

My song, as with a couple of the others (there are 10 in all), has two suggested tunes – one which I wrote with in mind (O WALY WALY) and another written especially for it.

The whole experience has encouraged me to get more into songwriting – my musical theory and expertise is pretty minimal, but perhaps I shouldn’t let that stop me anymore.