News and Events

African Children's Choir

Friday, October 26, 2007

The African Children's Choir from Uganda, South Africa is comprised of children ages 7 to 11 who have lost one or both parents to poverty or disease.  Choir members perform throughout the world, fundraising and serving as ambassadors for children in Africa who have become orphans because of the AIDS pandemic; they have been educating audiences on the plight of children in Africa since 1984. Currently, three choirs are touring worldwide: a Canadian tour with children from Uganda; a U.S. tour with children from Uganda; and a United Kingdom tour with children from Nkomazi, South Africa.

This year's two-act performance, entitled "Journey of Hope," is comprised of tribal and spiritual songs and dances depicting aspects of traditional customs and lifestyles. The performance includes songs about folklore, fishing and hunting, harvesting crops, celebrations, courtship, and the South African National Anthem.

Since its inception, the African Children's Choir has helped to establish numerous schools and provide educational scholarships in Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Sudan and South Africa. The choir has been instrumental in financing tuition for thousands of children who would otherwise have no access to education.

Each year, a new group of students joins the choir, and the children from the previous year's choir return home to attend school. Their education is funded completely by the African Children's Choir. Some of the young adult members continue their studies in university programs—training to become doctors, engineers, or other professional leaders in Africa. Others receive vocational and technical training, developing the skills they need to lead fulfilling lives. Many former choir members, as young adults, work with the African Children's Choir and other relief organizations throughout Africa to provide hope and opportunity to Africa's future generations.

This concert is sponsored by the Jane and Clint Gilbert Music Fund as part of the Gilbert Concert Series.  The performance is free and open to the public. It will be held in the Assembly Hall, located on the second floor of the Academy Building on Front Street in Exeter.

To learn more about Exeter's concert series, please check the Musical Events calendar page. To learn more about events at Exeter, please check the News & Events section of the website. Or, for a recorded voice line listing upcoming events, dial: (603) 777-4309.

Read the press release...