Academy & 2-time Grammy Award-winning composer David Shire

Greatly accomplished in both Broadway and Hollywood, Oscar and 2-time Grammy-winning composer David Shire has made outstanding musical contributions in theatre, film, and television. He was also one of the esteemed composers of Loving the Silent Tears: The Musical.

About the Composer

Mr. Shire received an Academy Award for Best Original Song for “It Goes Like It Goes” from the film Norma Rae. He won two Grammy Awards for his original music for Saturday Night Fever. His more than 100 film scores include those for The Conversation with Gene Hackman, All the President’s Men starring Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman, and Zodiac with Jake Gyllenhaal.

Moreover, David Shire’s songs have been performed and recorded by stars including Barbra Streisand, Melissa Manchester, Julie Andrews, and Billy Preston and Syreeta (“With You I’m Born Again”), to name a few.

On Broadway, Mr. Shire has had a fruitful partnership with celebrated lyricist Richard Maltby, Jr. Through the collaboration, Mr. Shire composed for acclaimed musicals such as Baby (whose cast included Loving the Silent Tears star Liz Callaway) and Big (based on the movie starring Tom Hanks). Both Big and Baby garnered Mr. Shire Tony nominations for Best Score. Off-Broadway shows for which he has composed include the Grammy-nominated Starting Here, Starting Now and Closer Than Ever, which won the Outer Critics Circle Award and even as of 2012 ran in a successful revival in New York. Meanwhile, his work for notable television programs has earned Mr. Shire five Emmy Award nominations.

From top: David Shire with famed singer Melissa Manchester at Supreme Master Television's 4th Anniversary Concert; with soprano Lynne Wintersteller at the Greenest Heroes Gala.

In more recent years, the brilliant composer has come to know about Supreme Master Ching Hai, and has set her poetry to music on a number of occasions. The first was for Supreme Master Television’s 4th Anniversary Concert, “Gifting Peace.” Mr. Shire composed two poignant art songs based on Supreme Master Ching Hai’s verses, “For the Afternoon Walk” and “A Lonesome Night,” which were performed by his friend, the multi-platinum singer Melissa Manchester. At the time, he expressed his admiration of the poet, as well as spiritual teacher, humanitarian, and artist, saying: “I’m familiar with her spiritual teachings and with her poetry, but I know that she is involved in all these other pursuits. And I’m always in awe of so-called renaissance human beings. I think it’s probably because of the largeness of the Supreme Master’s soul that she has the kind of largeness of artistic temperament.”

Supreme Master Ching Hai signs her book as a gift for David Shire  - Cancún, Mexico (Dec 5, 2010)

In December 2010, Mr. Shire flew to Cancún, Mexico to be part of The Greenest Heroes Gala and its star-studded concert during the United Nations Climate Change Conference. He presented two songs, one of which was based on Supreme Master Ching Hai’s poem, “Visiting You,” and performed by soprano Lynn Wintersteller. Within two days, Mr. Shire had composed it, then flew to Cancún, where he had a chance to meet Supreme Master Ching Hai. The following is one of the cordial exchanges that took place between poet and composer:

— David Shire, Academy & 2-time Grammy Award-winning composer

The following year, Mr. Shire was one of the five distinguished composers of the new musical The Real Love, with lyrics based on poems by Supreme Master Ching Hai.

The Broadway veteran composer shared, “It’s a unique experience because, I’ve written a lot of musicals, but this, none of us knew what the other ones were doing. The only common denominator was the script and the Supreme Master’s wonderful work. And it was a wonderful experience to come and see a musical that just was suddenly there, (laughs) and was quite amazing.”

Loving the Silent Tears

Mr. Shire was glad to join the second musical production inspired by Supreme Master Ching Hai’s poetry, Loving the Silent Tears.

Brian Joo and Heather Park in “Singing Praise”

Liz Callaway in “Monkey Mind”

“Singing Praise,” with its setting in Korea, was one of the two songs he composed. With its purely spiritual verses telling of the Master’s “boundless Grace,” Mr. Shire created a song that resonated with an Eastern mystic spirituality. He ingeniously gave the piece characteristics of a deeply contemplative Korean traditional song, by asking that it be sung “freely, with appropriate vocal embellishment” and that the ethnic flute be weaved in as well. As a whole, a perfect harmony was achieved amongst the song, the elegant costumes, gently falling snow, graceful dance by the ensemble, and vocals by the Korean singers, Brian Joo and Heather Park.  

Showing such ease moving from one style to another, Mr. Shire composed a completely different kind of number for “Monkey Mind,” a fast-paced song befitting both the vibrantly imagistic and heartfelt lyrics as well as the exciting setting of the wild Australian outback. Added was an interlude with the airy didgeridoo, an Aboriginal Australian instrument. The song was performed by Emmy-winning and Tony-nominated singer/actress Liz Callaway, who said, “The music is fantastic. David Shire is one of my favorite composers of all time. The fact that I’m doing his music just makes me so happy.”  

Through his marvellous contributions to Loving the Silent Tears as all his musical creations and positive works, the remarkable Mr. Shire is, as Supreme Master Ching Hai said, making musical miracles for the good of our planet.

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