I WOULD LIKE TO TELL YOU about an event that is dear to my heart, in the hope that, either this year or at some future moment, you will join me in person or in spirit.

I founded SING FOR HOPE: An Evening of Art Songs and Arias in 1995 in memory of my friend Frank Logan, who spent his final days at Omega House AIDS Hospice in my hometown of Houston. Thanks to the amazing generosity of my musical friends (listed below), the steadfast support of Continental Airlines and our other corporate sponsors, and the vibrance, integrity, and heart of Bering Omega Community Services, the concert is now one of the country’s largest annual AIDS benefits, having raised over 3 million dollars for people living with HIV/AIDS.

Although AIDS is no longer front page news the way that it was several years ago, the need for care is more pressing than ever. In the U.S, as worldwide, the largest change in AIDS infection is not, unfortunately, any diminution, but rather simply a shift in demographic, with increasing rates of infection among lower-income women and children. In Houston every autumn we sing to honor those lost to the disease, and to
raise money for an institution that serves those living with it.

In so doing, we remember the words of the wonderful, gentle Arthur Ashe, himself a victim of AIDS: “True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others, at whatever cost.” There are no better words to describe the volunteers and residents of Bering Omega Community Services who work year-round for people with HIV/AIDS, and whom we honor with our song and, hopefully, with your support.

For more information on SING FOR HOPE, please visit our web site at www.singforhope.org.