Pieces Of 9-11 Songs Are About Joy, Not Mourning

A pieces of 9-11 song collection currently being arranged by American composer Jake Heggie is meant to put the stories of survivors together in one place and bring some levity to the devastating event.

Heggie announced Sunday that his new album, titled “here/after (songs of lost voices)” is intended to “create a sense of hope and newness that can come from the grief. Otherwise, the people who did it win.”

His inspiration for the album came from his observation that new 9-11 stories continue to come out.

“A dozen years later, stories continue to emerge, evolve and yearn to be told,” Heggie said.

Heggie said that the pieces of 9-11 song collection is for everyone, regardless of whether one was even in New York during the event, reports The Examiner.

“I wasn’t in New York, I didn’t see the smoke and destruction, and yet my life changed that day — everyone’s life changed that day,” he said.

He said that while New Yorkers had a “right” to take ownership of the event and grieve accordingly, he wanted to make a way for “outsiders” like himself to mourn.

“That’s why I wanted to write this piece,” He said.

The singers on the album will tell the stories of 9-11 survivors from around the country, with some tracks expressing feelings of loss.

“And everything belonged to somebody/To somebody gone/And we all belonged to each other/From that moment on.”

Others will be more whimsical, heroic, even somewhat humorous.

The “Pieces of 9-11” song collection will be released on double CD on October 21. The cover looks like this:

[Top Image: Wikimedia Commons]