Orphan's Prayer articulates what a child might express to God about the lonely and empty experience of life without a mother's touch or the protection of a loving father. Imagery from the Psalms is used to capture this visceral pain while a response from God (in the third person) reveals a posture of open arms and profound empathy. Still, the question of human suffering begs, "How long, Lord?" Perhaps this song may be a catalyst for couples considering adoption to take the next step. Or perhaps a listener may be moved to support an orphan's missions at home or abroad. In any case, it is hoped that Orphan's Prayer sensitizes the listener to the plight of orphans and child suffering. Once again, I am profoundly thankful for my friend and producer, Rob Lehmann, who has produced all three of my songs. With Orphan's Prayer, he took a simple structure and gave it character and soul. First, he worked with virtuoso vocalist, Courtney Huffman, and built the entire song on her lyrical expression of the orphan's prayer. He then directed cellist, Valerie Thompson, to accentuate the melody with laments in both bass and higher registers that captured the essence of the song. An unexpected gift came from long time Berklee friend and pianist, Michael Pach, who provided subtle and soulful contributions to the song. As a finishing touch, Rob played a child's xylophone to symbolize the innocence of the orphan and the simple plea for relief. Like adding a beautiful frame to a canvas painting, engineers, Pete Peloquin (mixing), and Jay Frigoletto (mastering), brought the project to its final form. Thanks, Rob, for gathering such a gifted group of professionals to see Orphan's Prayer to fruition. Credits Written by Lee Atlas Executive Producer - Lee Atlas Produced by Rob Lehmann Engineered by Zach Bloomstein and Rob Lehmann Mix Engineer - Pete Peloquin Mastering Engineer - Jay Frigoletto Lead and backing vocals - Courtney Huffman Acoustic guitar - Lee Atlas E bow guitar - Rob Lehmann Cello - Valerie Thompson Piano - Michael Pach Toy Xylophone - Rob Lehmann