Chicago Peace Concert Featured Performance By Yo-Yo Ma
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A concert featuring songs written by Chicago gun violence victims featured a very special guest.
Classical music star Yo-Yo Ma.
CBS 2's Lauren Victory has the story.
The event took place at St. Sabina Church.
Father Michael Pfleger said Yo-Yo Ma drew much of the crowd from outside the Gresham community to hear some intimate messages.
Through the program "Purpose over Pain," parents of gun violence victims collaborated with lyricists to create songs dedicated to their sons and daughters killed on Chicago's streets.
Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra performed the powerful pieces as well as a few classics.
Yo-Yo Man joined in on a number called "A Song For Terrell" about a young man in Chicago who died at the age of 18.
The cellist talked about why becoming involved in this project was so important to him.
"I saw so much joy in people, in the parents," said the cellist.
Yo-Yo Ma shared with the audience that he too is a parent and a grandparent and he can't imagine this sort of pain.
He added that he knows music can't solve everything but he hopes it can bring a little bit of joy in addition to the grief as people heal.
You can hear more songs and see pictures at notesforpeace.org.