Several years ago, James R. Harris set out on a quest to understand the human side of the Civil War. Inspired by the discovery of the existence of a diary kept by a Civil War ancestor, the thought struck him of combining other true stories of the war with original, unique arrangements of the passionate music of the period. Thus, the idea for Civil War Voices was born. Harris is a lawyer by profession and is a member of the Board of Governors of the American Association for Justice. He also has a great love of music and musical theater. Harris has performed in more than 50 musical productions and is an accomplished singer. He accepted the award of Outstanding Production of a Musical for Civil War Voices at the Midtown International Theatre Festival in New York City and was also honored to host numerous "talk backs" about the show in connection with the Barter Theatre's production and subsequent national tour. The show was written in honor of Harris' parents, John and Eleanor Harris.
