Jennifer Blyth
Oak Bay News
Fourteen years after the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, Oak Bay’s Jill Ann Siemens is releasing a children’s book, built upon her award-winning song, Sempre Vicino: A Child’s Prayer for Peace.
Written in response to the the many children who had lost a friend or relative in the World Trade Centre attacks, the song won the International Song of Peace Award, and promted Siemens to launch the now multi-platiunum recording artists, the Canadian Tenors, after travelling to Ireland with Ken Lavigne to have him perform the song.
The tenors have gone on to raise millions of dollars for children who are suffering in the world, Siemens says.
“This was always my true desire and motivation – to create musical projects that would give me the means to help needy children by building homes, schools, hospitals, and putting food in hungry stomachs.”
Now, the song takes a new form as Siemens and illustrator Sheena Lott release a brand new children’s book, A Child’s Prayer for Peace in time for the International Day of Peace Sept. 21.
The song will be sung in the Sunday, Sept. 20 peace service at St. Philip’s Anglican Church on Eastdowne Road at 9 a.m., followed by book sales, with partial proceeds going to supporting an incoming Syrian refugee family.
Siemens and Lott will also be at Ivy’s Bookshop Sunday afternoon from 1 to 3 p.m. for a book signing. Several draws will include the original recording of the song by The Canadian Tenors, an autographed copy of the book, and an author reading at a selected school classroom.