A Ukrainian mum whose passion for music was rekindled in Wrexham will play a key role in a concert celebrating cultural diversity.

Polina Horelova, 34, from Mariupol, will conduct two Ukrainian songs performed by NEW Sinfonia orchestra’s community vocal ensemble NEW Voices at St Giles’ Church, Wrexham.

At least 20 Ukrainian refugees have found solace singing with the NEW Voices which has one hub in Wrexham and another in St Asaph.

While the concert itself has received funding, a Just Giving page has been set up to raise money for the wider NEW Voices programme and anybody wishing to make a donation can do so via www.gofundme.com/f/fund-our-project-with-new-voices-and-uareuk

Polina’s passion for music was rekindled after joining the ensemble which meets on Saturday mornings at Tŷ Pawb.

Polina studied at Mariupol Conservatoire, qualifying in conducting but until she joined the choir she had not sung or made music since escaping to the UK.

Now she is looking forward to conducting in public for the first time in many years after her musical talents were discovered by New Sinfonia co-founder and fellow conductor Rob Guy.

The Leader: NEW Voices NEW Voices (Image: Ceidiog PR)

The theme of the concert is ‘We Rise Together’, and as NEW Sinfonia are ambassadors for Wrexham’s City of Culture bid in 2029, they were awarded a Cultural Commission grant at the end of 2022 to support the concert.

They chose the theme following the outstanding success of a New Year Gala Concert in January which welcomed 30 Ukrainian families.

Rob said: “We worked with UareUK (United to Assist Refugees UK) which has a hub in Wrexham. They support refugees from Ukraine, Iraq, Syria, Russia and other countries.

“In our New Year concert, I invited young people to perform with the orchestra and four Ukrainian children stood up and conducted. The audience was deeply moved by this. Since then, we have deepened our relationship with this community and things have moved quickly as we have got to know them.”

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Polina said: “Music has always been at the heart of my family but even before the war I had stopped working professionally after having children. It was difficult to raise a family and continue a career conducting. But after I was introduced to the community choir here it reignited my passion for music. It became a source of joy at a heartbreaking time for us.”

She still has family and friends in Ukraine including her brother, Daniel, who was injured when a Russian missile fragment pierced his leg.

Polina and her husband, Volodymyr, have four children, Anhelina, 12, Oryna, 11, Liubomyr, seven, and Volodymyr, three. They found a safe haven in Wales thanks to their sponsors Edgar and Elizabeth Coward, of Overton, to whom Polina says they will always be grateful.

Polina’s husband still returns regularly to Ukraine transporting and distributing vital aid packages to families who have lost their homes and livelihoods.

His farm, including land and livestock, was destroyed in the Russian advance on Mariupol and the family’s city apartment was annihilated by relentless bombing.

Now he and Polina do all they can to support aid missions and UareUK charity work in Wrexham.

Polina will conduct the choir for two songs well known in Ukraine, one a traditional prayer and the other is a dance tune hailing from the Carpathian mountains.

She said: “The prayer is solemn, while the dance song is full of fun, uplifting. I think the audience will really like them.”

Rob Guy said they also hope to have one or two musicians from Ukraine in the orchestra for the concert.

He said: “Since we were awarded the initial grant, the demand for our NEW Voices project and our work has grown massively.

“We really want to find a way to deliver on these new discoveries. While the funding we have currently covers the concert day itself, we’re also seeking support for our wider NEW Voices programme this term to enable our valuable work to continue. We’d be delighted to hear from anyone interested in offering support or sponsorships.”

The We Rise Together concert will premiere a new composition featuring the poetry of Evrah Rose set to music by Jonathan Guy.

We Rise Together concert will be staged at St Giles Church, Wrexham on April 1 at 7.30pm. Tickets are priced from £1 to £15.