How do we fight the radicalisation of our young people?

Sixteen-year-old Asha Parkinson believes she has the answer.

Asha, a semi-finalist in this year’s BBC Young Jazz Musician contest, is launching an intercultural Children’s Choir.

Saxophonist Asha, from London Road, Tonbridge, is bringing together 100 children, aged nine to 11, from different cultural backgrounds across the UK to form a choir singing for peace in Syria and other Middle Eastern conflicts.

She said music could be a unifying force.

The project will culminate in a performance by the choir of a work especially written by Asha at St James’ Church in Piccadilly, London, on Saturday, November 12.

Her composition entitled What War? mixes Western orchestral styles with Middle Eastern instruments and will feature renowned nasheed artist Abdullah Rolle. Nasheed is a special form of Islamic capella singing.

Asha is a former student of the Weald of Kent Grammar School. She now studies at the Purcell School of Music.

Always a talented musician, she won Tonbridge Has Talent at age 11, and has her own jazz band Out of the Loop which has played at the London Jazz Festival and smaller venues across Kent.

Asha said: “What was been happening in the war zones horrified me, but what could I do - I was just a teenager?

“About two years ago it came to me. What if we could truly sing for peace? What if children around the world could do just that with us?

“What if we could radicalise young people in quite a different way: with ideas of tolerance and respect?”

Asha has recruited fellow students from her college to help with the project.

The choir from various faith and non-faith communities will rehearse What War? at different venues, with fun games and teambuilding exercises to help integration.

Syria Relief, Christian Aid, We Will Inspire and the Jewish Society of the University of Exeter have all pledged support.

An important part of the project is to make a campaigning video of the proceedings with clips from the dedicated aid organisations.

Asha said: “It will show not only the suffering inflicted on civilian populations, but the simple message of humanity and hope from the younger generation. “

As usual the drawback is cost. All those involved in the project are volunteers, but there are costs connected with hiring rehearsal venues, travel and the cost of organising DBS-checked chaperones for the children, estimated to amount to £10,500.

Asha is crowd-funding the project. Anyone able to contribute can do so via the website:

www.crowdfunder.co.uk/voices-beyond-divisions-1

Donations of more than £50 secure tickets to the London concert.