Two former pupils of St Benedict's Junior School and St Dunstan's School in Glastonbury are helping to promote world peace through the medium of choral singing.

Elizabeth Parsons and Helen Ostafew represent the UK in the newly formed World Choir for Peace, which on 4th September is releasing its first album, 'Peaceful Choir', on the Sony Classical label. This was recorded live in Hanover by an international group of 24 professional singers, and completed in just ten days only hours before Germany came under lockdown in March.

The choir, whose aim is to bring about a culture of peace across the world through singing together, both as individuals and as a part of a choral community, has the support of many eminent composers, including Karl Jenkins and John Rutter.

After Sixth Form at the Blue School, Wells, Elizabeth studied music at Bath Spa University before moving to Munich where she still lives and works as a professional soprano, whilst Helen, who went on to Strode College before graduating in music from the University of Leeds, lives in Frome from where she works as a soprano, conductor and composer.

Both singers, coached by Glastonbury's Viola Nagel, were members of the Somerset Youth Choir under Guy Turner and Elizabeth also sang with the Bath Camerata under Nigel Perrin.

The World Choir for Peace album features Helen as a composer as well as a singer, and both she and Elizabeth are also on the organizing committee of the choir, having being invited to join by its German founder, Nicol Matt, who is also their conductor in the Chamber Choir of Europe.

Since March, the choir has guested online for the 'Stay at Home Choir' and also featured in the song 'I Hope', composed by Kim André Arnesen to words by Charles Anthony Silvestri, a video message for the world which was recorded virtually by singers worldwide, reaching over 3 million people. view here: the You Tube site

In August 2021 the core choir will be joined in Hanover by around two thousand singers from around the world for a gala concert to celebrate the international movement for peace through singing.

Go to www.worldchoirforpeace.de for all the latest news and videos.