A Manchester-based choir is hosting a charity concert this weekend to raise money for people suffering in the Ukrainian conflict.
The Concert for Ukraine, directed by David Evans, will be held on Saturday 26 March at St Ann’s Church and aims to raise money for those affected by the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Mr. Evans said: “It’s two hours jam-packed full of gorgeous music to raise some money.”
Tickets for the event cost £20, and all proceeds will go to the Disaster Emergency Committee’s (DEC) Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.
The DEC charities and their local partners are currently in Ukraine and neighbouring countries providing food, water, shelter, and medical assistance to those in need.
The concert will feature the Cantibus Choral Ensemble, a group of experienced singers based in the Manchester region, who perform a wide range of music.
Cantibus has hosted a number of charitable concerts in the past, including “Music for Manchester”, which raised money for the British Red Cross Manchester Emergency Fund, and “Meals for Manchester”, in aid of the Greater Together Manchester Night Shelter.
The event will also feature a special guest, Ukrainian opera singer Natalia Temnyk.
Temnyk, who now lives in Merseyside, is a well-acclaimed opera singer and will be singing in Ukrainian at the concert.
Mr. Evans said: “It’s not just music for the sake of it.
“We’re trying to make it as relevant as possible.”
The performance will open with the Ukrainian National Anthem, which will be followed by a selection of beautiful choral numbers, including Ukrainian folk songs.
There will also be a performance of a song from the film Sister Act called “I Will Follow Him”, which is included as an homage to the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Mr. Evans said: “The message of the music can be very nicely correlated in some respects to what’s happening over in Ukraine.
“The plight and the suffering of people or the attitudes to certain people in power.”
The concert this Saturday will be the first time Cantibus has performed together in over two years, as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic.
The ensemble is now hoping to carry on with their performances, with national events coming up such as the Queen’s Jubilee.
The Concert for Ukraine takes place in St Ann’s Church, Manchester, on Saturday 26 March at 7.30pm.
