British Contemporary composer Adrian Snell created The Cry as an act of remembrance for those affected by the loss of life or childhood due to violence. With author Murray Watts, Snell has musically woven the authentic words of children, who have suffered war, conflict, and ethnic cleansing, within the Requiem structure. The Choral Arts Society (CAS) will offer this work in honor of and in solidarity with the civilian victims of the war in Ukraine. The program will be enhanced by the artwork of Ukrainian children impacted by the war who were invited to paint at hospitals, orphanages, and art studios in Lviv by art therapists Nataliia and Yustyna Pavliuk.

In early 2023, these works were exhibited at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art in Chicago. American solo violinist Rebecca Engstrom—a Wisconsin native who collaborated on the composition and the world premiere—will perform with the CAS.