Exeter, NH (October 19, 2007)—Phillips Exeter Academy concludes its annual Gilbert Concert Series on Friday, October 26, at 7 p.m., with the African Children’s Choir from Uganda, South Africa. The concert, which is free and open to the public, will be held in the Assembly Hall, located on the second floor of the Academy Building on Front Street.

Comprised of children ages 7 to 11 who have lost one or both parents to poverty or disease, the African Children’s Choir has educated audiences on the plight of children in Africa since 1984. Choir members perform throughout the world, fundraising and serving as ambassadors for children in Africa who have become orphans because of the AIDS pandemic. Currently, three choirs are touring worldwide: a Canadian tour with children from Uganda; a U.S. tour with children from Uganda; and a United Kingdom tour with children from Nkomazi, South Africa.

This year’s two-act performance, entitled “Journey of Hope,” is comprised of tribal and spiritual song and dance. It depicts aspects of traditional Ugandan and other African countries’ customs and lifestyles. The performance includes songs about folklore, fishing and hunting, harvesting crops, times of celebration, a courtship dance, and the South African National Anthem.

Since its inception, the African Children’s Choir has helped to establish numerous schools and provide educational scholarships in Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Sudan and South Africa. The choir has been instrumental in financing tuition for thousands of children who would otherwise have no access to education.

Each year, a new group of students joins the choir, and the children from the previous year’s choir return to their homelands to attend school. Their education is funded completely by the African Children’s Choir. Some of the young adult members continue their studies in university programs—training to become doctors, engineers, or other professional leaders in Africa. Others receive vocational and technical training, developing the skills they need to lead fulfilling lives. Many former choir members, as young adults, work with the African Children’s Choir and other relief organizations throughout Africa to provide hope and opportunity to Africa’s future generations.

The Gilbert Concert Series is supported by the Jane and Clint Gilbert ’47 Music Fund. Passionate advocates and lifelong lovers of music, the Gilberts established the fund in 1998 to enhance the study and performance of music at the Academy. The Series brings concert artists of national and international distinction together with the students of Phillips Exeter Academy for performances, master classes, workshops and other learning experiences focused on musical excellence. The primary aim of the Series is to inspire Exeter students, along with the entire Academy community, with an appreciation for musical accomplishment and the lifelong joy such musical understanding can bring.

For further information, call the music department at (603) 777-3453 or visit its webpage for a complete list of events at http://www.exeter.edu/news_and_events/news_events_2990.aspx. You can also call the PEA public events line at (603) 777-4309. Directions to the Academy are available at (603) 777-4330.

Phillips Exeter Academy is a coeducational, independent preparatory school that was founded in 1781 and originated the system of instruction known as Harkness teaching in 1931. In the spirit of its charter to foster both goodness and knowledge, students come from a wide variety of geographic, economic, racial and religious backgrounds. The diverse student body comes from approximately 45 states, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands and 23 foreign countries.