VIDEO: Lara Downes Releases 'Take Care of this House' With Shereen Pimentel & More for National Voter Registration Day

On September 22, in honor of National Voter Registration Day, pianist and activist Lara Downes is releasing a video of Leonard Bernstein's song "Take Care of This House," from the musical 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

The performance features a diverse and multi-generational collection of leading American artists and activists coming together to perform this song as a rallying cry for civil liberties at this critical moment in history. The video includes Yo-Yo Ma, Judy Collins, Rhiannon Giddens, opera greats Thomas Hampson, Angel Blue, Isabel Leonard, Ailyn Pérez and Lawrence Brownlee, Mexican-American jazz diva Magos Herrera, Shereen Pimentel, who stars as Maria in the new Broadway production of Bernstein's West Side Story, and young musicians from the Brooklyn Youth Chorus and NPR's From the Top.

watch!

Downes, who also produced and directed the video, conceived the project as a way to help drive voter participation, as well as raise awareness and support for the ACLU's Voting Rights Project.

Downes says of the video: "This year of disruption and division has kept artists offstage and off the road. But even from here at home, we can reach out to join forces and offer our music where it matters the most. I've looked to Leonard Bernstein throughout my career as the model of a true artist/citizen, a musician who always showed up and spoke up, in good times and bad. He gave us so much inspiration, including this perfect song that speaks to our American past, present and future in such a powerful way. So here we are, from our homes to yours, pledging to take care of this house together. It's the hope of us all."

The project embodies Bernstein's history of fusing art and activism, and continues Downes' longstanding connection to the composer, most recently through her Sony Masterworks album For Lenny.

Performers (in order of appearance)

Yo-Yo Ma, cello

Lara Downes, piano

Maya Chatterjee, voice

Thomas Hampson, voice

Angel Blue, voice

Shereen Pimentel, voice

Davóne Tines, voice

Anthony Roth Costanzo, voice

Julia Bullock, voice

J'Nai Bridges, voice

Brian Jagde, voice

Rhiannon Giddens, voice

Anthony McGill, clarinet

Conor Padmanabhan, guitar

Ifetayo Ali-Landing, cello

Lawrence Brownlee, voice

Isabel Leonard, voice

Magos Herrera, voice

Charles Yang, voice and violin

Soloman Howard, voice

Ailyn Perez, voice

Members of the Brooklyn Youth Chorus

Judy Collins, musician and activist