<p><strong>This is the very first visit to the UK by the Israeli-Palestinian girls' choir and it's being sponsored by Children of Peace - we need to urgently raise &pound;10,000!</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Shani Choir Committee is bringing a remarkable Israeli-Palestinian girls&rsquo; choir to the UK for the very first time. You can help us make this wonderful dream come true.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Shani Choir has been invited by the organisers of the <a title="Three Choirs Festival" href="http://www.3choirs.org/">Three Choirs Festival</a> to perform as part of the 2012 Hereford Three Choirs Plus programme, between July 21-28, 2012.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>As the hugely successful 2011 Worcester Three Choirs Festival comes to an end, Hereford can look forward to an exciting visit by this internationally important choir, who have performed before the Pope and at the Belgium Parliament. It is a first for the UK and there is already a building national media interest.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Choir is composed of Christian, Jewish and Muslim girls, aged between 13-18. All are classically trained at the Jezreel Valley Arts Center in the Galilee and their repertoire includes Bach, Palestrina and Elgar, as well as traditional Arabic and Hebrew music - their signature song is <em>Imagine </em>by John Lennon. The patron of the choir is Maestro Zubin Metha.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The choir is now being sponsored by Children of Peace, and a Shani Committee has been set up to fundraise and organise the visit. Headed up by former mayor, Councillor Marcelle Lloyd Hayes &ndash; the committee is planning a number of events surrounding the event, including treating the girls to a day trip to Bath.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>We urgently need your help to raise &pound;10,000 to support the visit by the choir &ndash; to cover travel costs, coach hire, rehearsal space, ticket and programme printing, sound equipment, media support and the day trip to Bath.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>With your help this historic event can bring a profound message of peace from Israel and Palestine into all our lives.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Thank you for your support!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Richard Martin (Chairman and founder of Children of Peace)</p>