Damon Albarn to perform with Syrian National Orchestra for Arabic Music

Albarn, waving a flag, performing with the Syrian National Orchestra for Arabic Music at the Roundhouse in London in 2010

A Syrian orchestra, whose members have fled around the world due to the conflict in the country, are reuniting for a London concert featuring Blur and Gorillaz singer Damon Albarn.

The musician first worked with the 90-strong Syrian National Orchestra for Arabic Music (SNOAM) eight years ago.

Albarn said: "It's a truly miraculous sound that they create."

Their performance is part of 14-18 now, the UK's arts programme marking the centenary of World War One.

The orchestra first played with Albarn at the Damascus Opera House in 2008.

Albarn worked with them, and principal conductor Issam Rafea, on Gorillaz album White Flag and they toured together in 2010, with shows taking place in Lebanon, Syria and across Europe and North America.

The Royal Festival Hall show on 25 June, presented by Africa Express and featuring other guest performers, will be SNOAM's first concert since Syria descended into war.

'Dynamic and joyous'

Albarn said he found Syria to be an "extraordinary and beautiful country" when he first travelled there to work with Rafea.

"And then Syria changed, almost overnight" he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. "Ever since then, I've watched from a distance and felt utterly helpless, wondering about all of the lovely people I've got to know."

Rafea, now based in the US, said the situation in Syria was "beyond our imagination", leading to musicians fleeing the country.

He hopes the music will act as a "universal language" and that he looks forward to "the opportunity to come all together again".

Albarn said of the orchestra: "There's a whole choir, there's strings, there's soloists, there's amazing percussion - it's a really, really dynamic and joyous sound, and it's stayed with me all these years.

"I'm really excited to be able to somehow share that with people.

"And the whole point of this is to get the orchestra back together, to get them working again - just giving some kind of alternative to the prism of the news, which is entirely a negative thing."

International artists have been asked to create new works as part of 14-18 Now's 2016 programme.

Other highlights of the season include:

• New poetry by Simon Armitage reflecting on the Somme, as part of the Norfolk & Norwich Festival

• Designers including Vivienne Westwood and Roksanda making new pieces, inspired by the role of women in the war, as part of Fashion & Freedom at Manchester Art Gallery

• A major work by Yinka Shonibare being displayed at Turner Contemporary in Margate, Kent, looking at how new alliances in World War One changed society

This year's programme is focusing on the anniversary of the Battle of the Somme.