The choir has been busy with Hospice memorial services (Southwest General Hospice, and Senior Independence Hospice) and with choir recording sessions.  We sadly had to sing farewell to our former choir member, Denny Haynes, who died unexpectedly. Peace Together sends a message of sympathy and hope to his family and all who knew and will miss him.  Peace Together will be singing, once again, at the annual Nurse's Mass at St. Paul's Church in Akron on August 5th at 7pm.  Plans are underway for a holiday concert in the fall at St Paul's as well, and we hope to record the final selections for our newest CD in September!  
 
Peace Together welcomes Chris Stimson to their hopeful team...Chris brings 35 years of experience with major recording labels and has offered his expertise in trying to expand the market for Peace Together music.  With his help, a new relationship has begun with Anchor Distributing, a Christian Music and Books distributor from Pennsylvania.  The Board has expanded the choir's influence by initiating "Peace Together Productions", a new record label, that will be able to represent the music of any 'hopeful' artists who would like to record and sell their music.  
Peace Together music will also be represented by Select-o-Hits in the world of digital sales, so their songs and albums will eventually be available on sites such as I-tunes and Amazon!
 
Stay tuned as these new programs develop, and as the fall/winter schedule comes alive!

Welcome to our site!  We had some great Christmas performances at Regina and at First U.M.C. of Cuyahoga Falls.  We may eventually have copies of that concert available on video!  We've taken some time off from performing to fine tune details of the songs we have yet to record. We are excited about the new music we are learning!  We do have 3 memorial services planned for the spring including a Memorial Mass at St. Vincent-St. Mary on April 12 at 6:30p...also for Southwest General Hospice on May 2, 3pm, in Berea area.  The third we have planned is for the Hospice of the Senior Independence group...on May 23rd.  Other exciting developments are in the works, so visit again soon! and thanks for your interest in Peace Together.

The choir looks forward to their Christmas season, with concerts at the Regina Health Center on November 29 at 4pm, and at the First United Methodist Church in Cuyahoga Falls on December 2nd, starting at 7:30pm.  Recording sessions continue in preparation for our next CD, hopefully to be released in 2009.   The choir appreciates the many blessings they have experienced, especially the continued participation of all our members, and the support of our families, friends and fans!  Special hello to our friends in Tennessee, and any newcomers to the Peace Together website! 

Busy Summer '09!
 
Peace Together has been busy working on their next recording, as well as singing for hospice memorials services.  We appreciate our invitations to bring hopeful messages to hospice families associated with Hospice of VNS in Summit and Stark, Hospice of Southwest General, and Senior Independence.  We will be singing at our 3rd Annual Tribute to Nurses Eucharistic Service, on August 6th, 7pm at St. Paul's in Akron, a beautiful service which prays for and honors, in memorial, nurses who have served, and are remembered in the hearts of colleagues and loved ones. Many thanks to Bob Brodbeck and Mary DiDonato, who have worked hard on this event.  The public is invited to attend.
 
 

The choir is excited about plans to start recording again! We look forward to recording some of the uplifting anthems that we have learned in the past year or two, and hope to have another CD available soon.  We have plans to sing for the Christ Child Society's Mass on March 21st, and for the Southwest General's Hospice Memorial Service in May.  Many thanks to the welcoming audience and administrators at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in Canton where we were invited to participate in the Hellman Concert Series...and for those who helped organize and attended events at  St. Paul's Catholic Church, Regina Health Center, and Sumner On Ridgewood, where we shared our recent Christmas programs. 

Welcome to new visitors and loyal returnees! The choir was well represented at the Hospice of Southwest General Hospital Fall Memorial Service...a very supportive crowd was attentive and inspired US! as we shared some beautiful messages of hope regarding loved ones who are in God's care. We are busy preparing for our Advent/Christmas concerts and are blessed to be invited to St. Paul's Catholic church for a special concert on November 30...a time of thanksgiving, and turning of hearts toward our awaited HOPE! We hope many will be present to hear some of our new additions, and of course, many favorites from the past! Please see the calendar for dates and time, including 2 more concerts, at Regina, and Sumner, on December 7! Many thanks to the Brodbeck family, and fond hello's to our friends in Tennessee!

Please click on the Music tab above, which will lead you to the CD options page...click on the CD you would like to hear/order. If any problem, please email us at kmbmeyer@gmail.com. Thank you

The choir had a wonderful time visiting and presenting their inspirational selections for the residents of Lakeside Community. Many thanks to Shirley, Casey, Mike and their crews for making the concert a very special one. The choir also appreciated the great hospitality shown to them by the Fountain Inn and Hotel Lakeside staffs. The Nurse's Tribute Mass was very meaningful to nurses and non-nurses as well, especially the words of encouragement from fellow nurse and priest, Father Kookoothe. The Fall schedule is filling up fast. Peace Together will present a concert in Kenmore (a village within Akron, Oh), which celebrates it's 100th year in existence. The concert will be held at the Church on the Boulevard on Sept. 14th at 4pm! Other events include a special concert for the Concert Series at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Canton, a Southwest General's Hospice Memorial Service on Nov 7th, and possibly a return to a favorite Christmas concert location in December, courtesy of Regina Health Center. All are invited to these events (see the events page for details) where you will hear old favorites and a few new and wonderful works including "Be Still My Soul", a beautiful message in these busy and challenging times.

Special HELLO to our new friends in Tennessee, who have enjoyed the messages from Peace Together CD's thanks to the kind generosity and mission of a dear angel who has provided the CD's to church and Hospice listeners there. Thanks you for your dedication!

Peace Together had a wonderful experience as they helped to host "Armed Forces Service of Prayer and Remembrance" at Trinity United Church of Christ in Akron. The speaker was Edie Deyarmin, mother of 'Nate' Deyarmin, a marine and hero whose life was ended in August '05 in Iraq. Edie tenderly told of their experience and reminded us to keep remembering and helping those who are dealing with the sacrifices of war.
Special thanks to Trinity UCC for their enthusiastic sponsorship of this meaningful event, and to Mr. George Baker of the Veterans Service Commission of Summit County.

The choir offered songs of hope to those grieving the loss of loved ones at the June memorial service for Visiting Nurse Hospice of Stark County, held at Roselane Nursing Center.

Practices continue in preparation for the concert at Lakeside - the Chataqua community on Lake Erie near Marblehead. The choir is looking forward to singing many favorites, old and new, in the Hoover Auditorium on August 4th at 8:15pm. Later that week, we will be presenting peaceful music for 2nd annual Tribute to Nurses, a mass offered for nurses of the area, sponsored by Bob Brodbeck and friends, inspired by his wife, Carol Brodbeck.

Just in...the grief support site known as www.TheLightBeyond.com, has placed a link in their blog section that informs visitors of the Hopeful Music of Peace Together. The Light Beyond is a very nice site which offers support to those who have experienced a loss of a loved one. Many thanks to The Light Beyond for their support of our hopeful mission.

Peace Together has a new alliance with a loyal listener in Maryville Tennessee! Thanks to Kay who has purchased numerous copies to share with hospice families in her area.

The thrift stores that support the New Destiny Program of Clinton, OH are now selling Peace Together CD's...proceeds will support their on-site alcohol rehab program. Stores are located in Wooster, Massillon and Barberton. We appreciate their support!

Comforting music will be offered to the hospice families from Hospice Services of Southwest Hospital. The spring memorial service will be held at Royal Redeemer Lutheran Church on April 13.

A wonderful event is planned for May 16 - ARMED FORCES SERVICE OF PRAYER AND REMEMBRANCE will include an honor guard, patriotic hymns and anthems, recognition and prayer for those currently serving and a memorial for area servicemen who have sacrificed their lives.

The site called www.catholicmusicexpress has added the Trust in the Lord CD to those featured on their site. THANKS CME!

After a busy Christmas season, Peace Together members have taken a little time off but are starting up again and have a concert planned on February 11 for the residents of Sumner on Ridgewood. We will perform in the auditorium for independent living residents this time. This will be followed by a Lenten performance at Francesca Residence, an anniversary performance for the Ruritans of the Alliance, Oh area, and a Memorial Day dedication at Trinity United Church of Christ on May 16. The choir would like to send a big thank you to the families of Carol Brodbeck and Peter Burg who have donated very generously to the mission of Peace Together. THANK YOU !!!!

The choir has received heart-warming hospitality at the start of this Christmas season. We presented a program mixed with favorite anthems and Christmas memories for the enthusiastic listeners at Sumner on Ridgewood, at the First Baptist Church of Alliance, and most recently, at the new Church on the Boulevard in Akron. Our final Christmas program will take place at 3pm on December 16 at a favorite site, the Regina Health Center, in Richfield, Ohio. Regina is the home to many retired spiritual leaders from the area, as well as others. The public is welcome to enjoy the program, as well as tour the facility as part of Regina's open house. There will be a reception following the program. Peace Together has had a very busy and inspiring fall season and is happy for the opportunity to prepare our hearts thru sharing the beautiful story of Christ's birth. Many thanks to all who have attended and support Peace Together thru the year.

Exciting opportunities and honors have come our way this fall! We will be singing some new hopeful works at the Hospice of VNS Fall Memorial Service on October 21 at the Bath Church. The choir is also honored to receive an invitation to provide musical inspiration at the memorial service for the Ohio Hospice and Palliative Care Meeting in Columbus on November 8. They have also received word that the "Hope in the Night" CD, which was designed to bring comfort to hospice families, will be recognized in February by the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association, the organization for certified End-of-Life professionals. The award, the Marion Ryan Artistry in End-of-Life Award, will be presented to Kathy Meyer in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2008. The choir is excited to share in this honor and hope that it will help to spread the hopeful messages to listeners in new parts of the country. They have also planned 2 Christmas concerts in December. The first will be a return visit to the hospitable First Baptist Church of Alliance on December 2. Then, the newly initiated Church of the Boulevard, in Kenmore (Akron), will be the site of a special evening concert later that day. See the calendar link for further details. This concert will be presented with interpretation for the hearing impaired. Both concerts will be open to the public. Enjoy the wonders of fall with hope!

Songs: Come to the Water, Lord, I Stretch My Hands To You, Here I Am, Lord, When You Prayed Beneath the Trees, I Need Thee Ev'ry Hour, Coming Home, Just As I Am, Trust in the Lord, Be Thou My Vision, Day by Day, I Love You Lord, Nearer My God To Thee, Precious Lord, Take My Hand, Steal Away, My Heart Will Go On, Total Praise

We are pleased to have the CD's ready to ship! To order a copy for yourself or a friend at this time, please send $15 plus $2 shipping to Peace Together, P.O. Box 15003. Akron, Oh 44314. Include your name and address, phone number. To order with a credit card, please select the Music tab above and follow the link to the CD baby site. Questions, please call Kathy Meyer at 330-645-9845 - thanks!

The choir finished the spring with the honor of singing at the Memorial Day Service at the National Cemetery in Rittman, Ohio. They presented newly prepared patriotic music including This Land Is Your Land, Star-Spangled Banner, and God Bless the USA, with heartfelt solo by Alan Irvin. The service was held under a very grand billowing U.S. Flag, and was very moving. The cemetery is a honorable tribute to those who have served our country. Ours was a memorable opportunity.
A memorial service for residents and family members of Rose Lane Care Center was held in early June, and then the choir began working on new additions to the repertoire. They look forward to presenting some of these at the Fall Memorial Service for Hospice of VNS in October. Interpreting will be available for the hearing impaired.

Peace Together appreciates the invitation to entertain the members of Faith Lutheran Church of Fairlawn, Ohio on Monday April 30. They would also like to invite the public to join in the festivities at the Lakeside Methodist Church on Lake Anna in Barberton on May 4, 8pm! Many new songs and meet the new members!

The choir is enjoying a little time off after a busy holiday season, which included the Kickoff Concert for our new CD, "Trust in the Lord". Thanks to St. Sebastian Church for hosting this blessed event! We performed at the beautiful and serene Church of the Holy Angels in Chagrin Falls and for the residents and families associated with St. John's Villa, in Carrollton, Ohio. We were inspired as the residents entertained us in return with their singing, and signing! What a wonderful place! Then we had a busy weekend which included singing for the Summit County Military Families Support Group, Regina Health Center in Richfield, and for patients and families of Hospice of VNS at their Care Center Tree Lighting Ceremony. We were also honored to be part of an inspirational concert at ST. Martha's Church in Akron. Thanks to all the hosts and those who supported us in person..... OUR NEXT CONCERT WILL BE ON FEBRUARY 25TH AND 3:30PM AT TRINITY UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST on N. Main in Akron. (across from Crest Bakery) The public is welcome!

The beginning of September brought the end of a work week in Chicago with Mat LeJeune, the mixing engineer who worked skillfully to enhance our choir recording. The week was lots of work and fun for Kathy and son, Jay, who joined her in Chicago.  Mastering is now being finished by Danny Leake. The kickoff concert is planned for November 5 at St. Sebastian's, where the new CD will be available, God willing.

The choir also enjoyed a spirited trip to the IHM motherhouse in Monroe, Michigan on Sept. 17. After an easy bus trip, the choir sang many of their favorites, as well as an emotional and very beautiful offering of Gounod's "Ave Maria" by Aleta Killian. It was quite memorable! Many thanks to the sisters for inviting and hosting us, and to the choir for sharing their time and talents. After dinner at the convent, we went to the Hospice of Northwest Ohio, in Toledo, and sang for some hospice residents, family, staff...and their resident golden lab. We appreciated the kind and efficient service of bus driver Ron. Next in store: CD Completion... TRUST IN THE LORD!

Great things are happening! We just made plans to sing at the Hospice of Northwest Ohio on September 17th! Singing for hospice families and staff will be a great honor. Percussion tracks were recorded this week by our new percussionist friend, Patrick Wagner. Patrick was wonderfully creative and a joy to work with. Mixing will begin on August 28th in Chicago, orchestrated by Mat LeJeune of CRC. Your prayers are appreciated as we attempt to finalize this wonderful effort. Also, a request for your prayers and best wishes for our saxophone player, Mike Downey, who is in the middle of an intense battle against a stubborn illness. Mike is hopeful ,and determined, so please add your prayers to his and if possible, join the St. Hilary's community for a healing service on August 29 at 7pm. Also, we would like to honor the memory of Carol Broadbeck, a big fan of Peace Together hymns, who died suddenly this week. Our sincere sympathy to her husband bob and family. Be Not Afraid....has been on my mind a lot this week.

In July, the choir enjoyed singing for the residents of the Greenview Inn in Green Ohio. Many thanks to Darlene for arranging the concert and for all the folks at Greenview who made us feel at home. Kathy, Chris Marks, Alan (and Beth) and Judy had fun together in Chicago as they met at the Chicago Recording Company to record some additions for the new CD. Thanks to Chris and Stuart for making it a productive trip. They also appreciated the hospitality of Dennis and MaryAnn Marks who took them sailing! Never knew singing hymns could be so much FUN!
This month we look forward to singing at St. Sebastian with a follow-up concert at Traditions, a nursing facility in Cuyahoga Falls. The Merriman concert will be rescheduled for a later date.

Practices continue thru the summer as the choir prepares for summer concerts at retirement communities such as the Greenview Inn in Green, Ohio, and The Merriman, in Akron. (See EVENTS for details). The choir is learning a lively rendition of "Battle Hymn of the Republic" which they hope to sing for the next Military Support concert.  They will be singing for a Sunday Mass at St. Sebastian Church, in August,  in appreciation for the use of the choir room.  The choir is very grateful for the generosity of St. Sebastian in allowing them to use their practice facility.  St. Sebastian will also be a likely site for a kick-off concert when the new CD is ready for release this fall. Work continues behind the scenes as John and Kathy fine-tune levels of choir and instrumentals prior to the trip to Chicago for mixing/mastering in final weeks of summer.  

Peace Together enjoyed the opportunity to sing for the members of the Village Chapel on Wednesday night. After a nice intro by Pastor North Selvey, a very attentive crowd seemed to enjoy hearing the newest hymns, many of which will be included on the new CD. Director John Buckenberger said it was "...one of the most satisfying performances he has been part of..." Thanks again to the Village Chapel!!!

The choir enjoyed their second appearance at the First Baptist Church of Alliance on May 7. We introduced many of the songs that will be included on our new CD, including our recent favorite "Trust In the Lord" and the moving dedication to those serving our country overseas, "Prayer for Our Time". We look forward to singing on May 17 at the Village Chapel in Green (see calendar for details)

The Musson Foundation of Akron has contributed a very generous donation to help with the costs of our newest recording. This is greatly appreciated as it takes some of the pressure off as we work to achieve the best recording we can...and once we start selling the new CD we can more quickly start saving to donate proceeds to hospice. Thanks to Jay and Irv Musson, and the foundation committee for their continued support! We are hoping to perform a concert at The Merriman soon, in appreciation for Mr. Musson's help with acquiring this gift!

We also received a heartfelt donation from Barb Lopane, in memory of her husband Frank, a Peace Together supporter who died recently. Many Thanks Barbara, we will be using it as we prepare our latest CD of hymns!! We hope you will like the new selection.

And finally, the daughter-in-law of Bob and Grace Gorman, Jennifer Gorman, contributed volunteer hours which enabled her to apply for a donation from her employer MBNA. MBNA accepted her application on behalf of Peace Together and we received a sizeable grant that will help greatly. We so appreciate the efforts of Jennifer, and the generosity of MBNA!!!

To hear samples of songs from "Hope In The Night: Hymns of Inspiration and Comfort" or "Gift of Hope: a Christmas Journey", or to arrange to purchase a CD via credit card, you may use the following link: www.cdbaby.com/all/kmeyern. CD BABY will handle your purchase professionally. If you would prefer to order by mail or phone please write to Peace Together Choir at P.O. 15003, Akron, OH 44314 or call 330-645-9845.

The choir recorded the first tracks of the next hymn CD on 3/11 and 12th. Many thanks to Chris and Stuart from CRC and to Reverend Selvey and his church for their awesome support. The choir recording experience was beyond words and we are excited about the results. Further instrumental tracks, editing and mixing will gradually be completed before the recording is released. We are still taking suggestions for the title and cover art.

John Buckenberger directed 26 mixed voices with his usual energy and attention to both sound and spirituality. The enjoyment and prayerfulness of the choir was evident. They worked very hard over the past months and it showed!

The new recording will again feature hymns, many traditional favorites as well as newer treasures, choir favorites. Many fine solo performances are featured, and of course, the leading accompaniment of Judy Tempero, on the piano, is beautiful - expressive and precise, as always.

Thanks to Jay Meyer for all the time spent developing this new site. We look forward to adding to the history of the choir, picture gallery, and info about the CD's and how to order. Details about the music, additional listening opportunities, and purchase information is available at www.cdbaby.com/all/kmeyern.