By SCOTT WHIPPLE
Staff Writer

BERLIN — Mooreland Hill School’s Headmaster Michael Dooman says he is looking forward with anticipation to the Nov. 3 performance of the Destiny Africa Children’s Choir.

Mooreland Hill is a private middle school in Kensington that has a history of personal attention to students. Its headmaster’s blogs include references to poets William Butler Yeats and Catullus,

Himself a Mooreland Hill grad, Dooman says his boys and girls come in contact “with a range of thoughts, opinions and experiences broadening their understanding of the world community.”

The choir from Uganda seems a perfect fit.

During the past year, the Destiny Africa Children’s Choir traveled from its home in Uganda to bring its joyous sound to Great Britain. The choir performed in that country, including for British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Now these children are bringing their talent to Kensington for their first US Tour.

Dooman said the Rev. Rich McKinniss of neighboring Wellspring Church told him about the group.

“I’m real friendly with Rich. His people use our facilities; we use theirs,” Dooman said. “When he told me this was the choir’s first U.S. tour I thought Mooreland would be an ideal venue.”

McKinniss said his church has sent five missionary teams to Uganda since 2005. The teams established health clinics and taught Bible classes.

According to tour manager Joellen Putnam, Wellspring has volunteered to house the nine boys and eight girls who will make the trip from Uganda. Although the Mooreland Hill performance is closed to the public, the choir will also sing during worship services Nov. 8 at Wellspring and perform Sunday at Bethany Covenant Church in Berlin.

During their two-month New England tour the choir will make 85 appearances. Dressed in colorful garb, they will present a lively mix of traditional and contemporary songs and dances — and awesome drumming.

The choir is comprised of orphaned children, rescued from horrific and desperate situations in the war-torn and AIDS-ravaged villages of Uganda. They now live and go to school at the Kampala Children’s Centre — a community of homes, a school, a farm, a youth center and a workshop.

Kampala Children’s Centre, the dream of Pastor Arnold Muwonge, who serves as its director, opened in 2005 near the city of Kampala and is home to almost 100 children. Muwonge says eventually the center will be able to house, educate and care for at least 1,000 orphans. His hope is that when these children reach age 18, they will either return to their communities to work or attend university.

“That’s the reason the childrens’ choir is called ‘Destiny,’” McKinniss said. “They are the future hope of that African nation.”

In New Britain, the Destiny Africa Children’s Choir will share the stage with a local group that represents the area’s diversity. The Main Street Singers, the community children’s chorus founded in 2003, is based at South Church. The local group will join the Destiny Choir in folk songs representative of both homelands.

Contributions to fund the growth and maintenance of the Kampala Children’s Centre will be accepted at the South Church performance. To learn more about the Destiny Africa Children’s Choir, their home in Uganda, other concerts in the area, or how you can help a support various programs, visit www.kampalachildren.com.

Scott Whipple can be reached at swhipple@centralctcommunications.com or by calling (860) 225-4601, ext. 319.

If You Go...

The Destiny Africa Children’s Choir will perform Sunday at 8:30 and 11 a.m. at Bethany Covenant Church in Berlin. They will also perform Sunday, Nov. 8 at 9 and 11 a.m. at Wellspring Church, Berlin and at 4 p.m. at South Church, New Britain. For other concerts in the area visit www.destinyafrica.org.