Check out the new single, “Carry Me Over the Sea” from ArtistWorks’ online music lessons banjo master Tony Trischka. Featuring ArtistWorks’ master vocalist Michael Daves, the song appears on his ambitious upcoming narrative album titled Shall We Hope; a work of historical fiction, which releases January 29.

Shall We Hope invites listeners into the lives of characters from America’s past as they grapple with the hard realities of war, death, and the meaning of freedom. Over 12 years in the making, this musical work of historical fiction is drawn from our nation’s fraught history.

Built atop Trischka's lifetime interest in Civil War history, Shall We Hope begins in 1938 at Gettysburg on the 75th anniversary of the bloodiest battle ever to take place on American soil. The album goes on to deliver timeless tales of tragedy and hope, as Union and Confederate veterans—most of them in their 90’s—reunite to salute each other one final time. “I watched a video of the 1938 Gettysburg reunion, where the soldiers were shaking hands across that stone fence in 1938, brothers again,” says Trischka. “Though it might have been more a photo op than an indication of changes of heart, it was a poignant moment and on a deeper level—a reason for hope.”

Trischka has been declared by the New York Times as the “father of modern bluegrass.”  His landmark solo debut Bluegrass Light was considered a watershed moment in the folk genre. He has also produced Steve Martin’s Grammy-nominated Rounder album from 2011, Rare Bird Alert, featuring crossover performances by the Steep Canyon Rangers, Paul McCartney and the Chicks. 

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