The BBC Folk Singer of the Year says she will feel "overwhelmed" to sing with a multi-national choir under a revolving artwork of the planet Earth in a Lancaster church.
Renowned folk singer Rioghnach Connolly will perform with women from the Lancaster Sanctuary Choir underneath the Gaia installation in Lancaster Priory on Thursday July 14.
The current BBC Radio 2 Folk Singer of the Year, Rioghnach is currently working with the East Meets West group at Lancaster Baptist Church on Thursday mornings.
LISTEN to Rioghnach Connolly talking about the choir:
"I join the Mother and Toddler group, a group of refugees and migrants and their toddlers," she said.
"They all meet to welcome people who are new here in Lancaster and they all take turns in cooking lunch for each other every week, and providing that social support network. It's really quite beautiful.
"I've been invited into that group to run a music gathering, a choir or sorts.
"We're going to be doing that every week until July 14 and then we are going to come together and we'll sing a collection of songs from all of the countries represented in that group.
"There are people from South Sudan, Eritrea, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Kurdistan, Palestine. I counted 15 languages this morning. There are up to 30 women every week. Hopefully it will grow and grow and grow.
"I'm a little bit overwhelmed at the idea of us all being together and singing under 'Gaia'."
Rioghnach is the singer, lyricist and flautist with folk groups The Breath and Honeyfeet.
She won the BBC Radio 2 Folk Singer of the Year award in 2019.
The concert starts at 6pm and admission is £3.
Measuring seven metres in diameter, Gaia – the personification of the earth, according to Greek mythology – features the detailed NASA imagery of the earth’s surface.
It was produced by Luke Jerram, the artist behind the Museum of the Moon which visited the Priory in 2019.
Related Stories:
All you need to know about spectacular Earth artwork's visit to Lancaster church - Beyond Radio
Lancaster vicar targets 100,000 visitors for spectacular Earth artwork - Beyond Radio
Praise for Lancaster and Morecambe youngsters who took part in 'tongue movement' project
Clinic where students offer free legal advice to reopen at Lancaster University
Lines reopen after train derailment on Scotland-London line
Police arrest two and seize illegal bike in Morecambe
ITV commissions sixth series of Morecambe crime drama The Bay
E-bike shop moves from Lancaster to new Carnforth showroom
Lancaster workshop to tackle the issue of drink and needle spiking
Morecambe raw feeds shop up for three 'Animal Star' awards
Two new festivals proposed for Morecambe entertainment venue the Platform
Second day of disruption as work continues after train derails in Cumbria
Morecambe lifeboat crew’s swift response rescues swimmer ‘being swept dangerously out to sea’
'Street Meets' announced to answer your questions amid new wheelie bin roll-out
Campaign group welcomes new "life changing" bus service to Morecambe
Lancaster prison worker jailed for drug offences
Major disruption as train derails on West Coast Main Line
Talks begin for events to mark Eric Morecambe's 100th birthday
Lancaster music venue due to shut will now stay open "well into 2026"
Halloween What's On Guide
LISTEN: Launch of new group in Morecambe to help with gambling addiction
LISTEN: New centre for people with disabilities to open in historic Lancaster location
