🌿 The Beginning of a Quiet Revolution
In the history of modern music, few figures embody transformation and spiritual grace like Beverly Glenn-Copeland. A classically trained singer, composer, and storyteller, he spent decades in obscurity — creating music that blended classical discipline, jazz improvisation, electronic experimentation, and folk soul.
But “Children’s Anthem,” written decades ago and rediscovered by new generations, stands today as something more than a song. It is a hymn for the future, written by someone who understood that music could be a form of healing — for the planet, for children, and for the weary soul of humanity itself.
When Glenn-Copeland first performed “Children’s Anthem,” he did not imagine that years later, it would become a rallying cry for environmental love, empathy, and connection. The lyrics echo with an ageless tenderness:
“We are children of the earth, and the sky is our home…”
This simple declaration holds the weight of a prayer. In his voice — warm, pure, and trembling with sincerity — you can hear the merging of folk and gospel, nature and humanity.
🌈 The Lost Years
Born in Philadelphia in 1944, Glenn-Copeland moved to Canada in his youth, studying classical music at McGill University. He was one of the very few Black students in the program and, later, one of the first openly transgender artists in Canadian music.
Yet despite his immense talent, his music was never embraced by mainstream labels. His compositions were too experimental for pop radio, too spiritual for jazz clubs, too modern for folk purists.
In 1986, he recorded Keyboard Fantasies, a collection of electronic meditations that merged new-age minimalism with an almost mystical sense of peace. The album sold fewer than 100 copies upon release — but it would later be rediscovered by Japanese record collectors and reissued in 2017, propelling Glenn-Copeland into the global spotlight at the age of 73.
Through it all, “Children’s Anthem” remained one of his most personal works — a song that he performed only occasionally, and always with visible emotion. It was his ode to the innocence of the world — and his belief that love, not fear, would carry humanity forward.
🌍 A Hymn for the Planet
“Children’s Anthem” begins gently, almost as if the earth itself is exhaling. The piano chords ring like bells in an empty cathedral, and Glenn-Copeland’s voice enters — clear, steady, and deeply human.
There is no anger in the song, no accusation. Instead, it feels like a conversation with creation itself. He reminds listeners that we are not masters of the world but part of it — made from the same breath, the same light, the same fragile dust.
“May we walk in beauty, may we live in peace.”
It’s the kind of lyric that could come from a sacred text. And yet, it doesn’t preach. It invites. It asks us to remember the connection we’ve forgotten — to listen to the song of rivers, mountains, and wind.
Over the years, “Children’s Anthem” has been performed in schools, climate protests, and spiritual gatherings. Younger artists have described it as “a song that belongs to no era”, timeless in its message and ageless in its hope.
💫 Rediscovery and Reverence
When Glenn-Copeland’s music resurfaced in the 2010s, thanks to crate-diggers and YouTube explorers, “Children’s Anthem” became a central piece in his renaissance. Fans from around the world began to share the song online, calling it “the soundtrack of awakening.”
Critics hailed him as a visionary decades ahead of his time, bridging the gap between Joni Mitchell’s intimacy, Brian Eno’s soundscapes, and Nina Simone’s spiritual power.
In interviews, Glenn-Copeland spoke with humility:
“I wrote ‘Children’s Anthem’ not to teach, but to remember. To remind myself that love is the only thing that can save us.”
And perhaps that is why his music resonates so deeply with today’s world — one struggling between climate anxiety and social division. “Children’s Anthem” doesn’t offer easy answers. It simply reminds us that we are all still children of this earth, and that innocence is something worth protecting.
💛 Legacy in the Autumn Years
In 2025, Glenn-Copeland announced his new album Laughter in Summer, a collaboration with his wife Elizabeth, recorded as his health declined due to early dementia. Even as his memory began to fade, his spirit burned bright.
“Children’s Anthem” was played at the album’s preview concert — and many fans said it felt like a circle closing. The song that once spoke of hope for the future now echoed like a gentle farewell — a blessing from a man who had finally found peace in his truth.
He often said,
“When I die, I want people to sing ‘Children’s Anthem’ — not for me, but for themselves.”
To hear Glenn-Copeland’s voice is to believe in goodness again. His music is proof that even the most overlooked artist can one day become a beacon. His life is a reminder that love is a long journey — one that sometimes takes a lifetime to be heard.
🎵 The Song That Never Ages
“Children’s Anthem” continues to find new listeners in every generation — from environmental activists to spiritual communities, from indie musicians to parents singing to their children. It has been called “the lullaby of the earth.”
And perhaps that is its power. It doesn’t demand fame, or chart positions, or critical acclaim. It only asks for listening — the purest form of connection.
In an era filled with noise, Beverly Glenn-Copeland gave us silence that sings.
A reminder that hope still breathes, softly, under every storm.