The musical stylings and culture of Uganda is set to return to Merritt this Friday, as the Watoto Children’s Choir will be performing at the Nicola Valley Evangelical Free Church on June 10, as part of their massive cross-Canada 2016 tour.
The choir is made up of children taken in by the Watoto Child Care Ministries in Kampala, Uganda. Every child in the choir has lost one, or both, of their parents, explained Penny Turko, a member of the Crossroads Community Church which organizes the Watoto performance in Merritt each year.
“The kids come, and they’re so full of hope,” said Turko. “Their lives have been rescued.”
This year, the choir will perform at the Evangelical Free Church, as the Crossroads Church, which usually hosts the concert, is still under construction.
This year’s travelling choir is smaller than the groups that have come through Merritt in the past — Turko is only expecting about 18 kids and 10 adults — but they will all be billeted with different local families through the church, explained Turko.
“You initially feel good because you’re helping them out,” said Turko. “But by the end of their stay… the things they share with you, the stories, they end up blessing you.”
The choir will arrive in town on Friday, and perform at the Evangelical Church at 7 p.m. Entrance is free, and donations to the various Watoto ministries will be accepted at the show.
Primarily though, the choir travels to raise awareness for the orphaned, and neglected people of Uganda.
Every year, the group embarks on a major tour with a brand new choir, full of kids who haven’t had the chance to travel with the group, explained Turko.
After their show in Merritt, the group will travel down to Langley, kicking off a string of 20 shows in 20 days, most of which will be in Metro Vancouver. But the group will also find time to travel to Squamish, Gibsons, and Powell River before shipping off to their final leg of the tour on Vancouver Island.
