A TOP international choir has escaped from a war zone to sing in Kirkby Lonsdale.

The Boyan Ensemble from Ukraine is one of the world’s best male choirs - and its members have overcome enormous obstacles to flee from their country’s war zone to travel to Britain for a record-breaking tour.

Members, drawn from Ukraine’s top professional male choir, the Revutsky Academic Male Capella of Kiev, have narrowly avoided being conscripted into the Ukrainian army despite the fact that their country remains on a civil war footing with pro-Russian factions.

“The dire financial situation in Ukraine, and the punishing austerity measures that have been introduced, are a huge burden as the singers struggle to provide for their families,” said Margarete Rolle, the Boyan Ensemble’s UK representative.

“Restaurants, shops and other businesses have been closing down, and many of the members have lost their supplementary jobs singing in restaurants or working in some other capacity including music teaching, which used to help them get by.

“They need this current tour more than ever and hope for an opportunity to earn some real money at a time when the value of their local currency, the Ukrainian Hryvnia (now worth about five pence), has plummeted to an all-time low.”

The choir will perform 22 concerts across Britain, including one at St. Mary’s Church, Kirkby Lonsdale, on Monday October 13 at 7.30pm.

Tickets are available from the Visitor Information Shop on the town’s Main Street or on 01524-271 437.