Happy smiles as New Life Choir visits Dunluce Parish

Thursday March 7th 2024

Waves from the New Life Choir, chaperones and hosts in Dunluce Parish Centre on Wednesday lunchtime.

The parish centre at Dunluce was ringing with children’s laughter at lunchtime on Wednesday March 6 as members of the Abaana New Life Choir enjoyed their lunch.

Later that evening, the rafters were raised as the children’s voices rang out in song, their energetic and enthusiastic music and dancing bringing joy to those in the audience for this, one of a series of concerts in the UK and Ireland by these 20 young people from Uganda.

The very talented children, whose faces radiate happiness and hope, all belong to schools across Uganda run by Bangor-based charity Abaana. Their ages range from 7-14.

Their concert in Dunluce was part of a six-month tour which began in January and ends in June. The choir perform both Ugandan and English gospel songs and tell their testimonies.

Abaana’s aim is to raise awareness of third world poverty, find sponsors for an additional 200-300 children and rescue more children from a life on the streets.

Over 1000 new child sponsorships were set up as a direct result of the 2017 and 2019 New Life Choir tour and six young boys were rescued from a life on the streets and brought into Abaana’s New Life Homes.

In Connor Diocese, the New Life Choir has performed in The Hub and now Dunluce. The children will sing in Lisburn Cathedral on March 29 and 30 at 7pm and in COGS, Monkstown, April 7, as well as at other venues across the UK and Ireland.

Read more about the choir – and their visit to Dunluce – in the summer issue of Connor Connections, when we talk to some of those who hosted the children in their homes.

The full choir itinerary is HERE.