African Children's Choir will perform in St. Petersburg
By Waveney Ann Moore, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Church families will host 26 children, ages 7 to 12, and their chaperones from the African Children’s Choir that arrive this week. The children are provided with education through college or trade school.
ST. PETERSBURG — Cecelia O'Dowd and her family are excited about their guests, four children from Uganda and their chaperone, who will be arriving later this week.
O'Dowd is planning to stock up on fruit, cake and cookies and the makings for pizza. She thinks it'll be fun to let the children make one of their favorite foods. She has also borrowed air mattresses.
O'Dowd, her husband, Douglas, and children, Liam, 11, and Aidan, 8, are one of several families from Christ United Methodist Church who have volunteered to host 26 children, ages 7 to 12, and their chaperones from the African Children's Choir. The choir will perform at Christ United Methodist Church and First United Methodist Church in the city's downtown.
Those who attend the concerts can expect a mixture of traditional African songs and dances and contemporary gospel tunes and children songs. Founded in 1984 by human rights worker Ray Barnett, the African Children's Choir is a vehicle to help orphaned and extremely poor African children.
"When the organization was first started, education was still important, but it was providing homes for the children in Uganda who were suffering from the effects of the Idi Amin regime,'' said Dawna Hodgins, a spokeswoman for Music for Life, the choir's parent organization.
"Eventually, the organization opened up a number of literacy schools to help the children from that region who had no access to schools to learn to read and write. Children from those first choirs are now doctors and engineers, journalists and teachers, social workers and so many other things.''
Children have to audition for a spot in the choir and are selected based on need and talent, Hodgins said. They are provided with education through university, trade school or college.
While in St. Petersburg, the singers will attend classes during the day. A head teacher travels with them so they can keep up with their studies.
Music for Life, the choir's parent organization, is based in Canada and has offices in North America and around the world. Music for Life works in Uganda, Kenya, South Africa and southern Sudan and sponsors additional students in Rwanda, Nigeria and Ghana.
The children perform mostly in Europe, but also have sung in Australia, Singapore and at special events in Africa.
Host families are given guidelines. Bedtime, for instance, is 8 p.m., except on concert nights.
"One of the biggest comments that we have from host families is they wish they had more time with the children and that the children are very, very well behaved,'' Hodgins said.
O'Dowd, owner of Uncorked Fine Wines and Accessories on Fourth Street N, has read the guidelines.
"They gave us a list of some of their favorite foods and some of their dos and don'ts. They like things like pizza, mangoes. They like and they are allowed cake for dessert and cookies and lots of fruit for breakfast. We want to make sure that they feel welcome and they have things that they like, which are in the realm of what they are allowed,'' she said.
"We are happy that we will get at least one night of dinner with them. It's an opportunity to get to know these children and to get to know about them.''
Waveney Ann Moore can be reached at wmoore@sptimes.com or (727) 892-2283.
if you go
African Children's Choir
• 7 p.m. Friday, First United Methodist Church, 212 Third St. N, St. Petersburg.
• 7 p.m. July 1, Christ United Methodist Church, 467 First Ave. N., St. Petersburg. A love offering will be collected.
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