The raw, but undeniable potential of the youthful voices was slowly being unlocked and transformed. After months of dedication to voice training and practices, the group of individuals sang as one voice and the Brunstad Christian Church Africa Choir was born.
The choir comprises of young people from various African countries such as Uganda, The Congo (DRC), Kenya, Malawi, Cameroon and South Africa, most of whom are participants in the Christian Youth Development Program, hosted by Brunstad Christian Church South Africa.
There was much excitement and some trepidation when the choir was invited by the Brunstad Youth Club to represent the continent of Africa at the opening of a youth event (2019 Summer Youth Camp), held in Norway. For some, it was their first experience of leaving African soil, so when the long flight from South Africa came to an end and the plane touched down on the runway of the international airport in Oslo, there was an air of keen anticipation among the group. The scenic bus trip from the airport to their destination, gave the visiting choral group a taste of the beauty of the Norwegian country side, dense forests, mountains, fjords and quaint colourful houses.
At the opening event the BCC Africa Choir stood tall and proud of their continent as they sang a most inspiring rendition of the prayer: “Baba Yetu” (The Lord’s Prayer). The appreciation of the audience was palpable by their applause, as was the case for the other choirs as they represented their own continents in song.
Initially adjusting to the long day light hours was a challenge for the group, but as resilient as young people are, they soon enjoyed the extra hours of sunlight. Not only was the choir invited to sing at the opening event, the invitation also included participation over a number of days in a wide array of activities, together with a diverse group of young people from all over the world. The activities on offer included art and culinary classes, music, media, in- and outdoor sports, water sports, outdoor nature activities such as hiking and nature walks, to name but a few. All activities were provided and coordinated by the Brunstad Youth Club. The long summer days filled with activity culminated in evening meetings where Christian spiritual education and guidance was given to equip the youth with good Christian values for life.
Read more about the Brunstads Ungdomsklubb that invited the African Choir to Norway here