PART OF THE PROCEEDS FROM THE SALE OF CHILDREN FIRST WILL BE USED TO SUPPORT THE WORK OF UNICEF TO IMPROVE CHILDREN’S LIVES

Featuring artists such as Antonio Banderas, Anne Sofie von Otter, Rebecca Caine, Barbara Hendricks, and the Sylvia Young Theater School Children’s Choir, UNICEF’s Children First is a recording for, about, and in the benefit of children around the world. The recording will be released on January 11, 2011, one year after the anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti and proceeds from its sale will support the activities of UNICEF around the world. Founded in 1946 in the aftermath of WWII, UNICEF continues to provide services in disaster ravaged countries like Haiti and petitions for children’s right in 190 countries around the world.

Children First, whose goal is to be an integrated sequence of songs that describes the human life cycle in music and text, includes an official song of UNICEF sung by Antonio Banderas and Anne Sofie von Otter. That song, “Children First”, and other tracks such as “All of These Things You Are to Me” and “Heaven’s Lullaby” have lyrics written by American lyricists Amy Powers, Lisa Freeman and Richard Rudolph and music by Danish composer Carsten Mørch.

UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.