A 'Song for Ukraine' is being recorded in Suffolk
A Suffolk songwriter is bringing locals together with Ukrainian refugees to record two songs
Last updated 13th Oct 2022
A 'song for Ukraine' is being recorded by a group of singers in Suffolk, in the hopes of bringing people from different communities together.
Local composers Andrew and Josh Rayner are behind the project, which has held two recording sessions involving people from Suffolk, along with Ukrainian refugees.
The first was held at St Edmundsbury Cathedral on Tuesday (October 11). The second was held last night at St Andrews Church in Felixstowe.
'Prayer for Peace' is due out in November, with a second Christmas song also set to be released at the same time.
Proceeds will go towards charities supporting the relief effort in Ukraine.
Andrew is hoping to get as many people as possible from across Suffolk involved in 'Prayer for Peace'.
"This is something that has really been on my heart since we started to hear about this." he said.
"Sometimes it's almost impossible to say things in words, things. So music, I find is a great expressive way of talking about something.
Inside the Cathedral
Inside the Cathedral
"So this prayer for peace tries to express that, so crying out to God for divine intervention, if you like, in this crazy world.
"It's touched a lot of people...It's very emotional hearing people singing it for the first time."
Richard Hubbard is the musical director at the St Edmundsbury Diocese.
He has been teaching the volunteer the songs and says he is proud to be involved in the 'Prayer for Peace.'
"I think anything we can do at the moment to help the Ukraine situation and bring a bit of God's love and the hope of God's peace into this situation is well worth doing."
Natalia, a 24 year old Ukrainian refugee who joined in with making the 'Prayer for Peace', said:
"In Ukraine now, (we have) real war. And so many of my friends (are) now in Ukraine and it's so bad because Russia, (is) really very aggressive and everyday, people have died and it's so sad, but it's real."