It’s often been said that a good measure of the compassion of a society and a culture is how they deal with orphans, those abandoned as youngsters by their parents, or who find themselves homeless at the death of a parent. As far back as biblical times the care of orphans was high on the prescribed duties of a civilized people, and it remains so today.
A new recording is in the works, Night of the Orphan Train, described by the author, Brent Maher, as a musical novel, that describes a period of time in the United States before government agencies were specifically tasked with the care and resettlement of orphans.
This is an era between the Civil War days and the mid 1920s when a movement that came to be known as the Orphan Train raised money to move orphaned children from the large metropolitan areas of the eastern US by train to the midwest, where families were large to provide for labor on the farms. Many of these folks welcomed eastern orphans to their homes, families, and farms, and a non-governmental program was set up to oversee and supervise the movement of as many as 250,000 children over the 70 some years in question.
Wealthy donors supplied most of the funding, and logistics were administered by the Children’s Aid Society and Children’s Village, both also dependent on donations from affluent supporters. The sight of poverty-stricken youngsters begging or stealing on the streets of New York, Boston, and Philadelphia provided the impetus to find homes and families for these children.
This era and the effort described is the subject of Night of the Orphan Train, written by Maher, among Nashville’s more successful songwriters and producers. A debut single from the musical novel is available today, Orphan Train, which Brent wrote with Trey Hensley and Rob Ickes.
Trey and Rob recorded it with Tammy Rogers on fiddle and harmony vocals, and Marc Rogers on bass. Especially knowing the story behind the song, it makes for a poignantly powerful presentation, and a perfect introduction to Maher’s musical novel.
Hensley said that it affected all of them in the studio.
“Working on Orphan Train was an emotional and creative experience that resonated with all of us. Brent’s vision for telling this story through both music and narration made it one of the most meaningful projects I’ve ever been part of.”
Rob agreed, saying…
“The Orphan Train project allowed me to dig deep into a part of history that really moved me. Working alongside Trey, Tammy, and Brent, we created something truly special.”
A music video was also produced for the single, which as you might imagine, pulls hard on the heartstrings.
Check it out.
Orphan Train, the single, is available now from popular download and streaming services online
Night of the Orphan Train – A Musical Novel is set for release on October 17, with an original soundtrack following November 7 during National Orphan Awareness Month.
Maher is donating a percentage of the proceeds to Youth Villages of Middle Tennessee, a nationally recognized non-profit offering services for children in foster care, group homes, and teens aging out of foster care.
Well done all!
