Sing for Ukraine – Truro Cathedral

Choristers at Truro Cathedral have started rehearsing a Ukrainian anthem to launch on YouTube as a fundraiser to help children in Ukraine.

They have been practising Ave Maria by the Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov and they hope to launch it this week with all funds raised going directly to UNICEF’s emergency appeal: Protect children in Ukraine.

No newcomer to fundraisers, last year Truro Cathedral Choristers raised over £8,000 for UNICEF’s VaccinAid appeal and this latest project is once more led by Truro Cathedral’s Director of Music, Christopher Gray and Esmé Page, charity campaigner and choir parent, who co-led the Sing2G7 fundraising campaign.

The 34 choristers have been getting expert pronunciation help for the anthem from Marta Jenkala, Assistant Professor of Ukrainian Studies at UCL.

Chorister, Kes, aged 11 said:

‘The news makes me really worried – especially what’s happening to children just like me. I’ve never sung in Ukrainian before, but I want to do my very best for them all.’ 

And Imogen, aged 13: “Some of us have given our pocket money and we hope people will give lots, lots more to help us make a difference.’

And Head chorister Josh, aged 13 said: “There’s not much we can do as young people, but we can sing. I hope when people hear us, they will want to help us reach our target.’

Marc Gregory, bass, explained that Cornwall has had a special connection with Ukraine since it welcomed many of the refugees who fled to the UK in 1947.

“Our whole choir community is behind this initiative, and we hope people in Cornwall and further afield will help us do something, however small, to support Ukrainian children caught up in this present-day horror, he said

Thanks to LLE Photography for choir image and Huge Hastings for singing for Ukraine title web image