‘Heart Songs
AND Love Notes
FROM THE WORLD
F O R T H E CH IL D R EN O F U KR AINE’
BY H E AT H E R M . R O S S
were able to sing their own songs in support
and they will be put up on the WCC website,
worldchildrenschoir.org. Katie Warner, who was with the choir for
nearly 14 years and graduated from the choir
in 2018 praised the choir for its multicul-
tural education, teaching her said songs in
Italian, Spanish, French, German, Czech and
other languages.

“I think learning about the structures of
other languages and the etymology is really
cool. I think it’s a really cool way to open
yourself up to another part of the world,
another people. It opens the world up to you
in a way I think not many other things can,”
Warner says.

The Ukraine benefit will also feature
Georgy Synzheriak, a 14-year-old Ukrainian
refugee. In addition to supporting his
homeland, the project also supports the
teen’s passions. “Georgy is 14 years old, he
12 Washington FAMILY NOVEMBER 2022
T H E VO I C E S
OF CHILDREN
FO U N DAT I O N ’ S
G OA L I S TO C R E AT E
CO N D I T IO N S W H E N
EV E RY C H I L D W I L L B E
H EA R D A N D H AV E T H E I R
R I G H T S B E P R OT EC T E D.

dreams of becoming a professional vocal-
ist,” says his mother Natalya Synzheriak, in
a news release.

Harnes is hoping to raise at least $5,000
through the $10 tickets. The Voices of
Children Foundation’s goal is to create con-
ditions when every child will be heard and
have their rights be protected. The foun-
dation has several programs including art
therapy, mobile psychologists, individual
help and video storytelling.

WCC Beginnings
The WCC has always been closely connected
to heartbeat of the world since its founding
in 1990, after the Berlin Wall came down.

Harnes grew up during the Cold War and
she recalled seeing the Red Army Chorus
singing on T.V. after the Berlin Wall fell
and the feeling has stayed with her all these
years. “I would never have believed that we’d
be where we were,” Harnes says, remember-
ing the historic moment.

Harnes’ interest in music came much ear-
lier. Her mother began teaching her to sing
when she was only six months old. After
receiving a Bachelor of Arts from Southeast
Missouri State University and Master of Music
from the Catholic University of America, her
career in music had much success. She won
many contests, performing on radio and T.V.

and appearing with many symphony orches-
tras, oratorio societies, opera companies and
in concerts at famous locations like the John
F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,
the United Nations and Carnegie Hall.

She continued on this track with the WCC,
which has performed for former presidents
including Barack Obama, George H.W. Bush,
MUSICAL NOTES: PROKSIMA; HEART: IRINA GUTYRYAK/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in
February of this year, stories of the
ongoing conflict have impacted hearts
and minds all over the world.

For Sondra Harnes, CEO and
artistic director of the Arlington-
based World Children’s Choir, she was
touched through music.

Harnes saw a Ukrainian American choir,
Dumka of New York, singing “Prayer for
Ukraine” on Saturday Night Live, shortly
after the Russian invasion of Ukraine began.

She knew she wanted to do something to
help and music was the solution. “It’s just
such a terrible situation. I go to singing, to
my music to fill me up and to sing with oth-
ers is the best thing I could possibly do,”
Harnes says.

Harnes organized a virtual benefit con-
cert for the Voice of Children Foundation in
Ukraine, inviting adults, children and teens
from all over the world to add to the voices
with the prayer and one other song, “Love
Sings a Song for the World.” The recordings
will be streamed online on Nov. 5.

Before rehearsals started in August, sing-
ers from 17 countries had already signed
up to participate. Six more countries have
joined in on the free project.

Singers from Australia, Brazil, Canada,
England, France, India, Italy, Mexico, New
Zealand, Nigeria, Philippines, Poland,
Slovakia, Sweden, Ukraine, the U.S. and
Wales, are among those who have contrib-
uted their voices to this project.

Learning to sing Ukrainian songs hasn’t
been easy, and Harnes acknowledged that
for some it wasn’t possible. However, those
who could not learn the Ukrainian songs