This month’s download is a song about the Luminaria ceremony at the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life event. It was mostly written by my friend Jack Storey – it was his words and his ideas for the music that I had the privilege to work with and complete. He was kind enough to offer me co-writing status for my contribution, but I am just honored to be associated with the song and the event.
Jack asked me to finish this song and perform it for the Relay For Life Nationwide Summit in 2008. I posted about that event earlier – Jack videotaped the performance and posted it on YouTube. Since that event, I promised to record a version of the song to make available to anyone who would like it for their Relay For Life. After many months, I finally decided that what I recorded for the original demo I shared with Jack really captured something raw and good, and so I post that version here. Maybe someday I’ll re-record the song with a much fuller arrangement, but for now, I give you the simple, heartfelt piano and vocal demo. I hope you enjoy it. Please do let me know.
By the way, the picture above is courtesy of “Cowboy” Ben Alman via Flickr.com and shown here under a creative commons license. It’s from the Luminaria ceremony at the Watertown, MA Relay For Life. Thanks Ben!
14 thoughts on “New Song – Every Candle Has A Name”
Wow. That is beautiful. Left me too speechless for other words. Thank you.
I am the Luminaria Chairperson for our Buncombe County Relay for Life in Asheville, NC. This is my first ever relay and I am SO EXCITED to be a part of it!
Our Relay is September 7th 2013 and I will be using this for our Silent/Memory walk around the track!! Thank you for writing the PERFECT SONG for Luminaria!!! God Bless!
Rose-Marie Vieira
rosemarievieira60@gmail.com
Thank you Rose-Marie! Best of luck with your Relay, and thank you for all you do for the cause. – Tom
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I to am a Luminaria Chair of Morgan County Relay for Life in West Virginia. I was searching for the perfect song, Thank You Tom. This is absolutely beautiful.
Thank you Peggy!
Love, love, love this song!! Thank you for writing and performing such a beautiful tribute. I am the chair of the Burnsville, MN Relay For Life and we have been looking for such a song for our Luminaria ceremony. Thank you so much!!! As one survivor to another, kudos on your remission status!!
Thank you so much Becky, and thanks for all you do for Relay and the fight against cancer! And congratulations to you as well, my fellow survivor.
Wow, this song is simply beautiful! My name is Amy Langlois and I've been Logistics Chair for the last four years in Malone, NY There's always moments during each event that makes you just stop and take it all in. For me every year it's that one chance when I just stop my running around to walk a lap slowly and read every single name, my thoughts, prayers & tears are with each name. This is such a beautiful tribute, thank you for sharing this, from everyone at the Malone Relay For Life.
Thank you so much Amy! And thank you for all you do for Relay and everyone who battles this disease.
I am the Luminary chair for Relay For Life – Staten Island. I love this song. Every time I hear it I cry. We are going to use it after the bagpipers. I have been doing this 9 years and it still get me..
Beautiful..
Thank you so much! I am honored to play a part at Relay For Life Staten Island. And thank you for being a committed long term relayer, fighting cancer!
An absolutely beautiful song with such a powerful message x well done Tom! Thank you
Karen from Colchester (uk) Relay For Life
Thank you so much Karen! All the best to you!