Two Candle concerts will be held near Diss in April to celebrate 50 years of Amnesty International. Pictured here are members of the Halesworth Community Choir, who will be performing.

Candle concerts of new music by four women composers will be held near Diss in April to celebrate 50 years of Amnesty International.

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Songs of Freedom, a song cycle composed by Helen Chadwick, Sianed Jones, Karen Wimhurst and Katherine Zeserson, comprises eight pieces of music created around texts from poets writing either about or from situations of conflict and imprisonment.

The four composers have worked across the world with different singers and traditions and bring this musical diversity to their work.

The songs will be performed by Crossing the Border, Heartbeat and the Halesworth Community Choir with Sian Croose, Helen Chadwick and Barbara Gelhorn.

Bridget Cousins, from Wenhaston, and Janet Koralambe, from Hoxne, who runs Crossing the Border (a group of singers who meet in Diss), are the conductors.

The project developed from an idea of Sian Croose to celebrate Amnesty’s 50th birthday this year by commissioning some new vocal music from women composers.

Funding was obtained from the Performing Rights Society and from the choirs involved – the project is running across the country with the pieces being performed by at least 10 choirs in different venues.

A concert will take place at Wingfield Barns on Saturday, April 14, at 8pm.

Tickets – £10, concessions £8.50 – are available from the box office on 01379 384505.

Another concert will take place at The Cut, Halesworth, on Saturday, April 21, at 8pm. Box office: 0845 673123.

Amnesty International, which has a group in Diss, campaigns on behalf of people around the world who are facing human rights abuses. Its purpose is to protect individuals wherever justice, fairness, freedom and truth are denied. To find out more about its work, visit www.amnesty.org.uk