Citizens of the World releases first ever Yoruba and Welsh composition for Refugee Day 2025

20 June 2025 - Press release

The choir is dedicating the release of ‘Lullabies’ to the memory of Annabel Rook, co-founder of MamaSuze and whose life was dedicated to supporting women and children fleeing violence and human trafficking. 

‘Lullabies’ is available for pre-save and download here. 

This World Refugee Day (Friday 20th June), in the world’s first ever Yoruba and Welsh composition, Citizens of the World choir are proud to share ‘Lullabies’. The track will feature on their debut album due for release in the autumn and was recorded in the prestigious Voces8 studios. Co-composers Meg Ella and Àánú Sodipe shared their reflections on the track. 

Àánú Sodipe, who also performs as a violinist with Citizens of the World, said: ‘Lullabies was so exciting to write. We collected different lullabies and folk songs that were familiar and comforting to choir members and representative of their different cultures. The atmosphere as we did that workshop was beautiful. Everyone was so encouraging and delighted in hearing and sharing music from each other's cultures. It gives me so much joy to see how much the final recording speaks to everyone in the choir.’

Each of the composers brought lyrical inspiration from their own heritage to inspire the words of the shared song. Àánú Sodipe worked creatively with powerful lyrics inspired by Nigerian writer Toyin Adewale-Gabriel’s poem Olayimika, which speaks to the strength that people draw from familiarity and solidarity with their culture and homeland. In turn, Meg Ella looked to the Welsh 19th-century poet, activist, preacher and mariner Cranogwen, who grew up in her home village in Wales. 

‘We compiled a jigsaw of melodies from our choir members and then lyrically we each looked to our own heritage. We saw that despite the more than 6,000km of distance between our two homelands, the poetry of our cultures shared common themes celebrating nature, community and love,’ says Meg Ella.

Citizens of the World Choir is dedicating the release of ‘Lullabies’ this World Refugee Day to the memory of Annabel Rook, co-founder of another much-loved London organisation supporting refugees. 

Becky Dell FRSA, Conductor and CEO of Citizens of the World said: ‘We are devastated by the loss of Annabel during this Refugee Week. In her life, Annabel worked tirelessly to share freedom and strength, and journeyed together in kindness and compassion with those around her. She will remain dear to our hearts and close in memory to many of our members who also sang and created art with her.’