African Children’s Choir to give performance in Albert Lea

Since 1984, the African Children’s Choir has been performing in front of audiences across the United States.

Now, Albert Lea has a chance to see the choir perform.

The 42nd African Children’s Choir is touring the Midwest and will be stopping in Albert Lea to give a concert. The 42nd choir is chaperoned by Carrie Lyman, who was inspired to chaperone after she saw the choir when she was 10 years old.

After graduating college, Lyman wanted to serve God. Lyman, who is from northeast Ohio, contacted the choir to see how she could get involved.

Human rights activist Ray Barnett started the African Children’s Choir in 1984. He was giving a young boy a ride and the boy sang the entire way, which inspired him to start the choir.

Lyman said Barnett thought the choir would be a good way to show the western world the need and potential of children in Africa.

The concert’s set list varies a little bit each time, Lyman said. The choir has put out several CDs, but some of the songs the children will sing aren’t on those CDs.

Some of the songs sung are gospel and Christian songs that people might know, such as a medley of “This Little Light of Mine” and “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.”

The choir also sings African songs that people probably don’t know, Lyman said.

The choir arrived on Aug. 29 and officially began their tour on Sept. 5 in Wisconsin. This is Lyman’s first experience touring with the choir.

Lyman said people are excited and leave the concert beaming. She said people are thrilled to see the children dance and sing, especially because the children are “cute little kids” and “they have great voices.”

The children have a lot of hope, faith and joy, Lyman said, and people are excited to see that.

The 42nd choir is mostly touring the Midwest but will be dipping down into Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Missouri for the winter.

The 41st choir is performing on the West Coast and in Alaska. There are multiple choirs touring at the same time and the tour will continue into June or July of next year, Lyman said.

There is also a choir touring the United Kingdom in November, December and January.