Ode article inspires music and helps educate

What is the connection between an article in Ode magazine and a gala concert at the Victoria Hall in Geneva, Switzerland with an audience of over one thousand five hundred people and more than five hundred and fifty performers on stage?

The performers were students, staff, family and friends from the International School of Geneva, on stage to help the non-profit charity organisation FOTIS (Friends of the International School of Geneva) raise money to help students from the developing world complete their education. The event was the world première of a brand new song cycle (especially commissioned for the evening by FOTIS) written and conducted by renowned jazz musician and composer, Scott Stroman.

During 2007, this massive event was being organised, and Scott Stroman himself was immersed in the creative process. At about this time, I read an article in Ode magazine (December issue 2006) about His Excellence, Archbishop Desmond Tutu on the theme of forgiveness, and I sent the article to Scott at his home in England. The result was the song “Forgive (Not Forget)” half in English and half in Kiswahili, undoubtedly the highlight of an evening packed full of memorable music and contagious energy at the gala première of this new work on March 9th, 2008.

In May 2008, just two months after the concert, I had the honour of handing over a live recording of the concert on CD to his Excellence, Archbishop Desmond Tutu in person during his visit to the World Council of Churches in Geneva. He is a truly amazing and inspiring gentleman and even found time to send a thank you note afterwards to FOTIS.

Largely as a result of this awe-inspiring musical event, FOTIS is now supporting the secondary school education of 44 students in Africa and South America! It is certainly true that you never know where inspiration will come from or where it can lead!

Eva-Maria Martin Troy, Founex (near Geneva) Switzerland