“Music
is the only thing which all nations, all ages, all ranks,
and both
sexes do equally well. It is sooner or later the great world
bond.”
Edward
Thring, Headmaster, Uppingham School, Rutland, England, 1862
Every Chapter an Adventure
Congo 1960. The Colwell Brothers sang at the nation's official independence ceremonies, and by invitation stayed during a turbulant year of intrigue and revolution. They visited every province and made 400 broadcasts on Radio Congo, the sole means of communication in a country the size of Western Europe.
“
If you guys could have been cloned and been our ambassadors around the world, American diplomacy would have flourished!"
Bill Close, M.D., former chief resident surgeon of Roosevelt Hospital, N.Y. and physician to the army and president of the Congo.
China 1978. Before diplomatic relations between China and the U.S. were established after Mao's Cultural Revolution, Up with People visited the country with an international cast. "Song for China," written for the tour by Paul Colwell (left) and Herb Allen, opened doors with state officials and children as well.
“
The Colwells and Herb Allen are truly an inspiration to public servants, social activists, and those of us at the Kennedy School."
Betsy Myers, Executive Director, Center for Public Leadership, JFK School of Government, Harvard University
Ukraine 1989. Before the Berlin Wall fell, after a 36 hour trip across Central Europe, Herb Allen rehearsed a Ukranian folk song for the evening's show. Cast members were the first foreigners permitted to perform in the country. The stage consisted of plywood sheets placed on top of army tanks in the middle of a soccer field. Militia locked arms around the stage to hold back the crowd of 30,000, but eventually gave up and joined them.
“
This is a story that resonates today with young and old who are looking for a way to make a meaningful contribution to world peace. May it be heard around the world!"
Captain Eugene A. Cernan, USN(Ret), Apollo 17 commander and author of The Last Man on the Moon
