“The images drawn by the children moved many choir members to tears,” said Sing! Choirs director Kathryn Rowland after performing to 80 refugees near Ely’s twinned town Ribe.
Members of a regional choir sang to holiday makers and church goers during a recent visit to Denmark – but it was their performance to refugees that moved them the most.
The 67 members of Sing! Choirs, made up of residents from Ely, Cambridge and Newmarket, boarded an early morning plane to Billund on August 24, after over a year of planning.
What followed was a feast of singing around Ribe, Ely’s twinned town in south-west Jutland, which has a population of 8168.
The Cambridgeshire choir sang together with local group Sing’n Swing, which led to many new friendships, Sing! Choirs director Kathryn Rowland said.
“An amazing choir of over 100 voices was formed and sang to a sell-out audience… A real ‘twinning’.
“Social media is full of happy pictures and stories.
Other venues included St Catherine’s church, Ribe Camping, where an audience of over 120 holiday makers came to listen and enjoy, and the Immigration and Refugee Centre in the nearby town of Hviding where the Sing! Choirs had an audience of over 80.
Kathryn said: “Of all the performances the one that will stay with me most is the one at the Immigration and Refugee Centre – words from the songs took on such different meanings when we sang here.
“Speaking to the refugees after and realising the small difference we had made in what are very complicated and desperate situations they are in.
“The images drawn by the children moved many choir members to tears.”
The Ribe trip was a massive success, with members already enquiring about future visits, Kathryn said.
“I loved Ribe – such a lovely place, we were so welcomed and I am so pleased that we have so many new Danish friends in a town that is celebrating 60 years of twinning with Ely.”
The visit followed a special performance by Sing! Choirs at The Maltings in Ely to celebrate the Ely-Ribe Twinning Committees’ celebration weekend in May 2015.
Sing! Choirs are always looking for more members. There are no auditions or need to read music. All you need is a love of singing.
For more information email kathryn@singchoirs.com or click here.
