As the Queen of Pop, herself said, “music makes the people come together.” This was certainly true with Catrin Finch and the Oasis One World Choir at the Gate Theatre on 5th April.

In the midst of a whirlwind of live performances that famed Welsh harpist Catrin Finch has been undertaking recently, she graciously shared the stage with the Oasis One World Choir on Tuesday 5th April. The profits from the concert, coming to a whopping £1800, all went towards continuing our work to help refugees.

Cultural events are a wonderful way of bringing together people, and the concert with Finch was a great opportunity to showcase the talents of the One World Choir. Made up of volunteers from the local Cardiff community, as well as refugees, it truly merges the global with the local. It also contributes to the warm Welsh welcome we provide: after all, Wales is the land of song, and what better way to welcome refugees than by including them in our songs?

The choir does more than just sing. There are also dance sessions, a testimonial for which shows the impact the choir can have on refugees. One woman broke down in tears during a dance session, one which made her feel free and truly happy for the first time in a long time.

Combining this energy with the talents of Catrin Finch is certainly a recipe for a great night. You can enjoy more of her music on her latest album with Senegalese kora player Seckou Keita, Echo, released in May.