Be moved and inspired by some of the greatest songs for peace ever written.

Throughout the 20th century, injustice and bloodshed inspired a powerhouse of songs. These songs express anger, pain and sadness, but also hope for a better future. Musical maestro Harvey Brough has arranged stunning new choral versions in this latest concert from USV.

Sheryl Crow wrote one of the great anthems for peace after visiting war-torn Bosnia in 1995. Her Redemption Day was reworked by Johnny Cash after the outbreak of the Iraq war eight years later. Nina Simone reframed Kurt Weill’s Pirate Jenny in the early 1960s as a cry for revenge in America’s Southern states. Rodgers and Hart’s wistful Spring is Here has moved many artists, including Ella Fitzgerald and The Supremes.

The USV perform with stellar soloists Christina Gill and Clara Sanabras. The band is headed by pianist Liam Dunachie and bassist Oli Hayhurst.

All together now (in the words of Nina Simone):

Everything must change,
Nothing stays the same.
Winter turns to spring.
Wounded heart will heal.