Beginning with this next series of articles for Destination Peace, I will reflect on some of my past travels and the extraordinary places, people, and experiences that have shaped my journey.
In doing so, I will share what can appropriately be shared while respecting the Chatham House Rule, which was in effect during certain conversations and symposium deliberations. The rule allows participants to use the information and ideas they receive, but not to reveal the identity or affiliation of those who made particular comments. This principle encourages open, honest dialogue by creating a degree of privacy and trust.
Among my most treasured travel memories are four remarkable years during which I was fortunate to lodge, speak, and present at Windsor Castle. Each visit was extraordinary in its own way. At every gathering, I had the privilege of singing in a place where history, music, ceremony, and humanity have converged for centuries.
At night, I would look out my bedroom window at St. George’s House into the courtyard and see St. George’s Chapel. In those moments, the history of Windsor did not feel like something preserved in books or museums. It felt alive. The castle was not simply a destination I was visiting. For a brief time, it became part of my daily experience.
I will never forget the evenings seeing the Queen’s flag flying over Windsor Castle. The Royal Standard was raised whenever Queen Elizabeth II was in residence, and seeing it there was a reminder that the castle was not merely a historic monument.
Then there were the moments of ceremony.
I remember watching the parade proceed down the street, surrounded by people who had gathered to witness the spectacle. Yet, what made the experience especially unforgettable was being able to stand inside the castle itself.
To my left were the onlooking tourists, watching history and tradition unfold. To my right was the procession, the changing of the guard, the music, the precision, the pageantry, and the sense that I was witnessing something that had been repeated for generations. I stood there, caught between the world outside the castle walls and the extraordinary world within them.
It is a memory I will carry with me always.
I recorded some of those moments, and in future articles and videos, I hope to share parts of those experiences with you.
One of the highlights of every visit was attending Evensong at St. George’s Chapel and hearing the magnificent boy’s choir. The beauty of the music, the historic surroundings, and the spiritual atmosphere created experiences that are difficult to fully describe. Music has a way of carrying us beyond words, and in those moments, surrounded by centuries of history, I was reminded of its remarkable power to connect us.
The people we met were equally remarkable. Among them were the Military Knights of Windsor, a corps of twelve retired officers from the Army, Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force who serve the Sovereign at Windsor Castle. We were honored to spend time with them and to learn more about their historic role.
A few months after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, I returned to Windsor as part of an international group and was honored to sing a memorial prayer at her crypt. We were chaperoned by one of the Military Knights of Windsor, making the occasion especially meaningful.
On another visit, we attended the Order of the Garter ceremony when a new member was inducted. Following the passing of a long standing previous member, a new member was appointed to the Order. Once again, I found myself witnessing history not as something distant, but as something unfolding before my eyes.
The exclusive tours of St. George’s Chapel were also unforgettable. From the balcony overlooking the chapel, where royal weddings have taken place, one is surrounded by centuries of history. Beneath the very floor on which you stand are the crypts of the monarchs who helped shape the history of Britain.
There is something profoundly humbling about standing in a place where celebration, ceremony, music, mourning, faith, and history have converged for generations.
My memories of Windsor are not simply memories of castles, royalty, or remarkable architecture. They are memories of music shared across cultures. They are memories of conversations among people from different parts of the world. They are memories of contemplative moments looking out a window at St. George’s Chapel and realizing that life had taken me to places I could once only have imagined.
Perhaps that is one of the reasons these memories connect so deeply with Destination Peace.
Peace is not found only in formal agreements or negotiations. Peace can begin when people gather. When they share their cultures. When they respect confidences. When they discover that the person sitting beside them, though they may come from another country, culture, or background, shares the same hopes for family, safety, dignity, and a better future.
Peace can be expressed through music in a centuries old chapel.
It can emerge through thoughtful conversations among people who might otherwise never meet.
It can grow through the simple recognition that despite our different backgrounds and perspectives, our humanity is shared.
As I revisit these travels in the coming articles, I hope to share not only where I have been, but also what those journeys have taught me. Some details will remain private out of respect for the Chatham House Rule and the trust of those who participated.
The memories, the lessons, the music, the inspiration, and the enduring hope for greater understanding and peace are stories worth telling.
Windsor Castle and St. George’s Chapel remain among the most extraordinary chapters of my travels.
Sometimes, we do not realize that we are living a memory until years later, when we look back and understand how deeply a place, a person, a conversation, or a single moment changed us.
For me, Windsor was one of those places.
I hope that by sharing these memories, photographs, and videos, others may see not only the grandeur of Windsor Castle but also something deeper, the human connections, the conversations, the music, and the moments that remind us of what is possible when people from around the world come together.
Peace, like the great journeys of our lives, does not always begin with a formal intention.
Sometimes, it begins when we are willing simply to show up.
Sometimes, it begins when we are willing to listen and sometimes, it begins with a song.
About the Video
The accompanying video was recorded in October 2017. In the video, I am playing the piano and singing the song Sometimes, made famous by the Carpenters.
The next article will pay tribute to the late visionary who made our Windsor Consortium a reality.
The video is a reminder of one of the many extraordinary moments I experienced at Windsor Castle. It represents something I hope to continue sharing through Destination Peace: the belief that music can transcend borders, history can teach us, and human connection can lead us toward greater understanding.
