In response to political events of January 20, Tony Award-winning actor Billy Porter has released an advance single from his forthcoming album, Billy Porter Presents The Soul of Richard Rodgers. The full album is scheduled for release this April.

The single is his rendition of the Rodgers & Hammerstein song “Edelweiss,” which, as Porter points out, was the last song written by the team before Hammerstein passed away, and was written for a dire moment in the story of The Sound of Music when the nation of Austria was facing conquest.

Porter wrote, “The Edelweiss flower exists in the most hostile of environments. It blooms in the cold and snow and reminds us that we can and must flourish in the darkest of times. As the last song that Rodgers & Hammerstein wrote together, ‘Edelweiss’ transcends all cultural limitations and resonates on its own terms. Written for their iconic tale, The Sound Of Music, ‘Edelweiss’ is a song of hope and peace—a healing prayer for a country in time of crisis. We need this now more than ever.”

The song can be previewed on iTunes.

Click here to listen to the sample.

Here is Porter’s tweet: