Grant us Peace (Vocal Score)

When The Galileo Foundation approached me to compose something for their Peace & Philanthropy Summit in October 2024, I was working a setting of a 2,000-year-old Hebrew blessing Sim Shalom for The Liberal Jewish Synagogue's Yom Kippur service.

The sentiments of this blessing seemed so completely universal that I decided to make an English version of Sim Shalom for Galileo, with peaceful and respectful greetings from different faiths, in their respective languages.

Starting low and in a minor harmonly, Grant us Peace rises and becomes more major, increasingly permeated with hope. The setting finishes with a passionate and optimistic C major chord, in ardent hope that our prayer is heard.

I am hugely grateful to The Galileao Foundation for commissioning this and including me in their vital summit.

Roxanna Panufnik, 20 August 2024