A Bridge Across

"When Douglas Hutton told me the story about Canadian musician Samantha Robichaud, a student in the Mark O'Connor String Camp, becoming a recipient of the Daniel Pearl Memorial Violin, he suggested that we include a song in the project about peace. I wanted to create something that expressed how the work and dedication of one man has continued to inspire so many. With co-writer Tom McBryde, I researched how international journalist Daniel Pearl bridged differences among people and crossed all types of social and economic barriers by playing his fiddle and violin. We hope that this song will serve to honor the memory of Daniel and help to build bridges among all people. When Dolly Parton graciously agreed to sing the lead vocals and Mark O'Connor agreed to play the "Daniel Pearl Memorial Violin" with the addition of the Nashville Symphony, we knew this would be something very special to honor the life's work of a very special man." (Lynn Wilbanks)