TV COVERAGE & NEWS/MAGAZINE ARTICLES
Peace of Heart Choir Brings Their Music to People Who Can’t Get to Them
Shelters, senior centers, community centers, and hospitals -- they've even sung on Riker's Island
By Peace of Heart Choir member Vivian Conan
November 30, 2023, 11:21AM in ART/NEWS
The Peace of Heart Choir is one of New York City’s many choral groups you probably never heard of, but if you’ve been to any of their concerts, you most certainly haven’t forgotten the feeling of joy and connection it left you with. Formed after 9/11, the group sings approximately 20 free concerts a year in venues like shelters, senior centers, community centers, and hospitals. Most are places where the the audience can’t travel to them, so they travel to the audience. They have even sung on Riker’s Island. Their aim is to promote healing, community bonding, and mutual understanding through music.
Peace of Heart Choir to Perform “Why We Sing” Concert at Hunter
May 30, 2023
Students will get to sing along with the Peace of Heart Choir in a half dozen languages during their recital inside Hunter College’s Ida K. Lang Recital Hall on May 31. The “Why We Sing” benefit concert, directed by Robert René Galván, is being held to raise money for the choir, who sing for free all over the city.
CE Noticias Financieras (English ed.; Miami)
Raúl Cordero’s paradoxical proposal: introspection in Times Square
New York, April 8 [2022] - Cuban artist Raúl Cordero inaugurated this Friday in New York’s bustling Times Square his installation, The Poem, with which he intends to achieve a point of pure attention, of introspection more than anything else, in a place with so many distractions like this. The inauguration was accompanied by three songs performed by the Peace of Heart Choir whose voices aimed at promoting healing, community unity and mutual understanding.
WNBC News at 11
April 24, 2020
NYC Song of the Week: New Yorkers Unite With ‘Lean on Me’
Peace of Heart Choir began a sing-along last week, April 17, 2020, with Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” and it continued this week with Bill Withers’s “Lean on Me.” Withers died earlier this month. Peace of Heart Choir members Gary Baker and Carrie Wesolowski are featured in the NBC news clip.
Time Out New York
New Yorkers are planning a citywide singalong to “New York, New York” tonight
By Shaye Weaver
Thursday April 16 2020, 11:47am
New Yorkers will raise their voices on Thursday evening for a giant singalong meant to boost morale and honor the city’ essential workers. Led by the all-volunteer Peace of Heart Choir, everyone is invited to sing Frank Sinatra’s classic theme from New York, New York for the event, dubbed New York Sings Along; starting at 7:02pm—just after the #ClapBecauseWeCare nightly round of applause. To participate, head to the event’s Facebook page or tune into WKCR (89.9FM) or WBAI (99.5) for livestream to help you synchronize with everyone else. Then, just lean out your window, or head out to your terrace, and raise your voice!
WCBS News at 11
April 16, 2020 at 11:40 pm
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — There was a huge show of support for all the brave workers on the front lines in the form of music. All across the city, residents joined in to sing a familiar song that is sure to raise the spirit of every New Yorker. From apartment windows to car radios, New Yorkers joined together in triumphant song. The lyrics of “New York, New York” captured the emotions of a defiant city in the throes of a heated battle.
(Spanish) La Opinión
(La Opinión is the largest Spanish-language newspaper in the US and the second-most read newspaper in Los Angeles, LA)
April 16, 2020
Mira a los neoyorquinos en cuarentena por COVID-19 cantar “New York, New York” de Sinatra
Estos son los momentos que los neoyorquinos han estado esperando durante la cuarentena de coronavirus que ya lleva más de un mes. Los neoyorquinos tomaron escalones, balcones y ventanas el jueves por la noche para cantar “Theme from New York, New York” de Frank Sinatra para honrar a los trabajadores esenciales, una canción que es un gran orgullo de la ciudad. La canción ocurrió justo después del aplauso nocturno #ClapBecauseWeCare como parte de un nuevo evento socialmente distanciado llamado “New York Sings Along”, a las 7:02 pm.
Translation: “These are the times that New Yorkers have been waiting for during the coronavirusquarantine that has been going on for more than a month. New Yorkers took steps, balconies, and windows Thursday night to sing Frank Sinatra’s “Theme from New York, New York” to honor essential workers, a song that is a great pride of the city. The song happened right after the #ClapBecauseWeCare nightly applause as part of a new socially estranged event called New York Sings Along at 7:02 pm.”
At a Manhattan Soup Kitchen, Food on the Table and Chops on the Piano
December 29, 2014
The Soup and Soul Kitchen—This soup kitchen has a grand piano. And sometimes Broadway performers stop by to sing and play. Only at the Church of the Holy Apostles. Only in New York. […] Likewise, Barry Weiss, a member of the Peace of Heart Choir and a pianist out of the American Songbook, plays on Fridays. A classically trained Armenian pianist, Jeannette Chirikdjian, plays on Mondays after several years of serving food at the lunches.
NY1 (TV)
2003
The Peace of Heart Choir was named New Yorkers of the Week by local cable news channel, NY1. This was the second time the choir was so honored.