For more than 40 years, each time a child is born, Jackson-Madison County General Hospital has played the Public Domain of Brahms Lullaby – a number that reaches – on average – a staggering 3,400 times each year.

But that all changed following a collaboration with West Tennessee Healthcare and The Jackson Symphony as part of their Music and Healing program – and a new version of the lullaby was introduced at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital, Friday.

“We were invited by West Tennessee Healthcare to record their new lullaby they play after each baby is born, and we were very excited,” said Sherry Freeman, CEO of The Jackson Symphony. “In our September concert, we pulled our orchestra together and they performed this a couple of times in recordings so we could have this special event.

“We are thrilled this will be played thousands of times each year.”

Paul Haas, music director of The Jackson Symphony said the musicians who recorded the new version – Tamas Kocsis and Diana Norwood – were selected based on auditions.

Kocsis and Norwood introduced the new version live, Friday.

“We have the finest musicians in the area performing always,” Haas said. “But certainly, for this recording almost a dream come true for any orchestra or musician that your music gets played over and over and … We wanted to make it is magical for each baby and mother and family member after the kids are born – a special moment for us all.

“Each time it is played it is playing forward 40- 50- 60 years into the future, setting a legacy in place that’s really special.”

(PHOTO: top – Sherry Freeman, CEO, The Jackson Symphony, Paul Haas, music director, The Jackson Symphony. Tamas Kocsis and Diana Norwood – The Jackson Symphony – performed the lullaby, Friday)