Editorial photography for Eurovision Liverpool 2023 - Sonia and the Refugee Choir

Published on Wed May 10, 2023 by David J Colbran

Another big event commission - this time connected to Eurovision ... probably like most people in the event / media / creative sector in Liverpool, I have been busy with requests and jobs somehow connected to the song contest arriving in the city in May 2023.

So it was great to land a Liverpool photography commission from the National Lottery a few weeks back. The National Lottery funded the European Youth Music Refugee Choir (EYMRC) - which brought together young people from around the UK who had recently arrived in the country and had a mutual love of music and singing. link text

The Liverpool singer Sonia, who was runner-up at Eurovision for the UK in Ireland in 1993, joined forces with the Refugee Choir as part of the celebrations leading up to Liverpool hosting the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 on May 13. And I was there at the rehearsals to get the still images - of both the action but also some portraits of some key people - Sonia, the musical director and some of the choir members.

Sonia saluted the uniting power of music as she joined a choir for a rendition of her 1989 UK No.1 hit, You’ll Never Stop Me Loving You. The rehearsals were at the Adelphi Hotel and included over 50 young refugees and asylum seekers from countries including Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Syria brought together to perform alongside Sonia for a special event at The Everyman Theatre.

So a few examples of editorial photography below, as well as a few tear sheets that I found.

National Lottery - article here

Tear sheets, press and media coverage - some examples

Author: David J Colbran