‘Pearl of Africa’ choir return to Hurst for public performance

“You wouldn’t know” commented on member of the audience “that the choir had been touring the UK for nearly 10 weeks. Their pace, energy and vitality and the overwhelming joy they project as they perform are simply stunning.”

A packed Hurstpierpoint College Chapel (which included visitors who had travelled from as far away as Skelmersdale in Lancashire and Walsall in the West Midlands to see the choir’s penultimate performance) was treated to an action packed 80 minute programme which combined powerful gospel music with many traditional songs and dances from different regions in Uganda.

The extraordinarily talented choir - which performs to raise money for Paul and Molly Wasswa’s Childcare Foundation Schools in Uganda – had earlier in the week run workshops for children in Hurstpierpoint College Prep School and one of the many highlights of the evening was when they invited the Hurst pupils to join in with their singing and dancing.

The Rt Revd Lindsay Urwin, Bishop of Horsham concluded his thanks to the choir by leading the audience in a travel prayer – a traditional African custom – to wish them well on their journey home to Africa this week. was” said Heather Beeby, Head of Hurst Prep, “a spectacular evening’s entertainment enjoyed by over 300 pupils, parents and friends from the Prep and Pre-Prep Schools".