ウクライナに平和を　スペイン発の合唱イベント、世界同時開催

【マドリードＡＦＰ＝時事】スペインの首都マドリードで２６日、ウクライナの平和を祈る世界同時開催の合唱イベント「平和のための合唱（Ｃｈｏｉｒｓ ｆｏｒ Ｐｅａｃｅ）」が行われ、３００人近くの歌手が参加した。（写真はスペインの首都マドリードで行われたウクライナの平和を祈る合唱イベント）
　ソフィア王妃芸術センター前の広場で開催されたイベントには、スペイン国内の４６の合唱団が参加。ジュゼッペ・ベルディ作曲の「Ｃｈｏｒｕｓ Ｏｆ Ｔｈｅ Ｈｅｂｒｅｗ Ｓｌａｖｅｓ（ヘブライ人奴隷の合唱）」や、米国人作曲家ジム・パポリス氏が手掛けた「Ｓｉｎｇ ａｎ Ａｎｔｈｅｍ Ｆｏｒ Ｏｕｒ Ｐｅａｃｅ（歌えよ、平和の賛歌を）」などを合唱した。
欧州、南米の９か国８１都市の合唱団の他、ウクライナでも１０００人の歌手が参加。イベントはＹｏｕＴｕｂｅで生配信された。
　イベントは、ロシアによるウクライナ侵攻開始の１か月後にマドリードの合唱団が始めた。サンティアゴ・アポストル教会の聖歌隊の責任者、マリアノ・ガルシア氏が主催する。
　同氏はＡＦＰに対し、「音楽の影響力は限られているが、合唱には、人々の意識をほんの少し高める力があると思う。決定権を持つ立場の人々にも届くかもしれない」と語った。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】

〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/03/27-17:44）

Choirs from across the world joined their voices to sing for peace in Ukraine Sunday, with nearly 300 singers gathering in Madrid where the initiative began a year ago.
Under cloudless blue skies, singers from 46 choirs in and around the Spanish capital gathered outside the Reina Sofia art museum and began singing at midday (1000 GMT) in an event involving thousands of others across Europe and Latin America.
This year, choirs joined from 81 locations in nine countries, with 1,000 singers from Ukraine joining their voices with others from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Denmark, Germany, Portugal and Venezuela.
Standing in the museum square, they sang Dona Nobis Pacem, the Hebrew slaves' chorus from Verdi's Nabucco and finally Sing an Anthem For Our Peace, which was written specially by US composer Jim Papoulis.
The simultaneous event, which was broadcast live on YouTube, was organised by Choirs for Peace, an initiative started by Madrid choir a month after Russia's invasion of Ukraine whose first event drew over 25,000 singers.
We are here to support Ukraine and say we need peace now, that we have to stop this war, said Elvira Polyenova, a 48-year-old Ukrainian soprano who used to perform at Odessa opera house, and who sang the opening solo in There is Peace.
Music unites people.. so the choir is a perfect instrument for spreading messages of peace and unity, said Mariano Garcia, choir director at Santiago Apostol church which started Choirs for Peace last year.
Although its power of influence is limited, we believe all choral music has the capacity to make us all a little more aware .. and might even reach those with the capacity to decide, he told AFP.
After seeing last year's event, Elena Redondo, 54, decided to join a choir so she could be part of this year's initiative.
We all forget there's not only this war in Ukraine but others all over the world, and we seem to get used to it. So events like this are an important wake-up call, she said.
Music changes many things, not only on a global level, but also on an individual level, it really changes the way you see things. I think it's important to join together with other voices.