The famous African Children’s Choir is coming to Midsomer Norton on Saturday, 20th May, thanks to the efforts of the town’s Community Trust and the Methodist Church.

They will be performing at Midsomer Norton Methodist Church on the 20th at 7 p.m. in order to promote awareness of the needs of destitute and orphaned children in Africa and to raise funds for continued development and support of the African Children’s Choir Programmes.

The Choir’s international educational endeavour provides unique training for the children. Once Choir members have completed a concert tour, they return to their homelands with the tools necessary for bettering their future. All proceeds from ticket sales in Midsomer Norton will go towards the Choir’s fundraising target.

The Choir comprises of African children, aged seven to ten years-old. Many have lost one or both parents through the devastation of war, famine and disease. On their tour of the country, the children have melted the hearts of audiences with their wonderful performances, accompanied by cultural instrumentation. The programme features well-loved children’s songs, hand clapping, traditional spirituals and contemporary tunes.

Over the past twenty years, the children that have been chosen for the choirs have appeared in thousands of concerts around the world, most recently performing at the Commonwealth Observance Day in the presence of The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at Westminster Abbey. Already on this tour they have met the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, at her residence in Dublin.

For further details and to book tickets online, visit: www.midsomernortoncommunitytrust.co.uk or call in at the Methodist Church Centre in the High Street where tickets are available from Reception between 9 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.

The money raised will go to the charity, which began thirty years ago. The first choir inspired audiences and raising enough to open the charity’s first children’s home, which provided a stable environment and quality education for choir children and those needing care. It has since gone from strength to strength, helping those going in to higher education, providing ‘fields of life’ which provide food for the children’s homes and village rehabilitation programmes which have provided a medical centre, mill grain and agricultural projects. It has also helped fund a Teacher Training College and a Music for Life Centre.