British-Polish composer Roxana Panufnik has launched an unusual two-pronged, multinational festive project, in aid of refugees. She has released on Signum Classics an Anglo-Ukrainian-Afghan Christmas refugee benefit single, in aid of the Refugee Council. The title is ‘Sleep, Jesus, Sleep’, and Roxana Panufnik made an arrangement of a beautiful traditional Ukrainian carol for gospel choir Soul Sanctuary, Ukrainian soprano Inna Husieva, accompanied by Afghan tabla player Sulaiman Haqpana.
Why Afghan tabla? The composer says: « Because since Putin commenced his ‘special operation’ in Ukraine, the many thousands of Afghan refugees that we airlifted out of Kabul in August 2021 seem to have been all but forgotten. Thousands are still waiting to be housed (often with families to one hotel room). The Refugee Council will spend the money raised helping refugees of all nationalities to find their feet in the UK. »
The carol can he streamed/downloaded at https://lnk.to/SleepJesusSleep. Every from the revenue will go to The Refugee Council.
As well as this single, Panufnik has made a more conventional choral arrangement and she says, that there will be over 40 live performances in cathedrals, churches, concert halls and schools all over the UK, Belfast and Philadelphia. More information is available here: https://roxannapanufnik.com/upcoming-concerts/
