World Children's Choir

06/30/2025

Shine Your Light Concert in honor of UN World Refugee Day - if you missed the concert yesterday, it now posted to our Vimeo account. Links to the concert program and art/poetry/performer pictures are available in the description.

This is "UN World Refugee Day Concert - Shine Your LIght!" by World Children's Choir on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who…

06/27/2025

The concert video will be uploaded to Vimeo soon. A link will be posted.

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Link to our rescheduled Shine Your Light free online concert/cultural sharing in honor of UN World Refugee Day.

Sunday, June 29 at 2 pm, Eastern Daylight Time/USA

Please join us!

What do you know about World Refugee Day?

United Nations World Refugee Day

World Refugee Day is an international day designated by the United Nations to honour refugees around the globe. It falls each year on 20 June and honours the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution.

World Refugee Day shines a light on the rights, needs and dreams of refugees, helping to mobilize political will and resources so refugees can not only survive but thrive. While it is important to protect and improve the lives of refugees every single day, international days like World Refugee Day help to focus global attention on the plight of those fleeing conflict or persecution. Many activities held on World Refugee Day create opportunities to support refugees.

World Refugee Day falls each year on 20 June and is dedicated to refugees around the globe. World Refugee Day was held globally for the first time on 20 June 2001 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. It was originally known as Africa Refugee Day, before the United Nations General Assembly officially designated it as an international day in December 2000.

Each year, World Refugee Day is marked by a variety of events in many countries around the globe in support of refugees. These activities are led by or involve refugees themselves, government officials, host communities, companies, celebrities and school children among others.

This year, World Refugee Day focuses on solidarity with refugees. Honoring their stories. Showing unwavering support to their plight.

Solidarity means honoring refugees not just with words but with actions. It means listening to them and making space for their stories. It means defending their right to seek safety and finding solutions to their plight, ending conflicts so they can return home in safety.

It means ensuring they have opportunities to thrive in the communities that have welcomed them and providing countries with the resources they need to include and support refugees.

But above all, solidarity means saying, clearly and courageously, that refugees are not alone and that we will not turn our backs.

https://wcc-gfvc.onestream.live/

06/22/2025

We invite you to watch our new virtual choir video, Shine Your Light. This song was donated to the public domain by the composer. if anyone would like to use our score, let us know.

06/22/2025

Shine Your Light Concert/Cultural Sharing Program Can Be Viewed on Google Drive:

If we lived in a just world, all nations would protect their citizens human rights. But that’s not our world. Refugees are just one result of injustice. Crucially, they didn’t cause their plight; rather, they are victims of profound injustice. Because their home nation cannot or will not prot...

06/19/2025

You are invited to make a sign for our free online UN World Refugee Day - can be homemade - or you can download one of mine (be sure to look at those first).

Positive/encouraging messages only, please. Then have someone take a picture of you holding the sign at chest height so we can read the words and see your face.

Send to [email protected]. We will post either at the end of the concert - or on the website.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1JdasRRSrxMZ2a12cce1RpvKCMFGTCOj0?usp=drive_link

05/20/2025

We will shine a light on refugee stories, experiences and their music and art in our concert/cultural sharing event. Don't miss this! Watch free on YouTube, June 22, 2:00 pm EDT/USA.
Participating Artists As of 5/23 - more people and ensembles will be added:
Refugees:
Ahmad Jouda (Palestine/Syria)
Manzha (Tajikistan)
Salam Noah (Iraq)
George Synzheryak (Ukraine)
24 refugees living in India performing with Grammy Award-winner Ricky Kej
International Virtual Choirs
Canu Yn Ein Calon (Wales, plus mother countries)
TLC Circle of Friends (Canada, plus other countries)
Global Family Virtual Choir (USA, plus other countries)
Other Performers:
Lena Izzat and Ceri Jones, Duettists (Wales)
Alexandr Boldachev, Harp (Russian immigrant now in Switzerland)
Alexander Misko, Guitar (Russian immigrant now in Germany)
https://www.youtube.com/live/KabBVQEcXnU?si=h0URade8Rto44D4Y

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SHINE YOUR LIGHT - Refugee Participants sought for first half of the concert, sing in our virtual choir video and people to enjoy watching the concert!

World Children's Choir is inviting people of all ages who have had to leave their home land (performers, visual artists, poets - anyone in the arts to participate in our event. We have a special interest in children - their art, poems and singing with us in the virtual choir. We would appreciate it so much if you would forward to anyone you know who might be interested.

WORLD CHILDREN'S CHOIR INVITATION
(nonprofit organization based in the Washington, DC USA area)

SHINE YOUR LIGHT
Free Online Concert and Cultural Sharing
in honor of UN World Refugee Day
Sunday, June 22, 2025 ~ 2:00 pm EDT/USA

First Part:
We invite people of all ages in the refugee community to consider participating in our concert/cultural sharing event. We would like to include videos of performers and poets in the first half of the live concert. Images of paintings, drawings, and other forms of visual art will be included in the concert program.

Previous concerts include two benefits (Voices of Children Foundation/Ukraine; Gaza Soup Kitchen/Palestine; concerts in honor of UNICEF Day for Change and UN International Mother Earth and UNESCO World Art Days.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgS37smu9sxMyDgR_bRmqEXe_JlnhJJF6&si=Pa-2mutCC_Me_TjA
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Second Part:
Those who love to sing are invited to learn "Shine Your Light" and record this song with us for our virtual choir video that will be included in the concert.

• A video of the song that includes 24 refugees now living in India:
https://youtu.be/v5nygOJpZ2U?si=tPgqvdiYT3VPBCpC

• Our arrangement is simpler, sung in English except for two words at the beginning. Audio files here. PDFs of each part are available now. Audio recordings of each part will be available to practice with soon. Guide tracks for each part to use when recording will be posted to Youtube by the end of May.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgS37smu9sxOJTaxkyYRAAhDVJj1A1_lh&si=p7e63JNZ_aXaR9Fd
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• Information/Registration Form:
https://forms.gle/U6tMXD8TqvVKuwen7
______________________________________
• See our virtual choir videos here:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgS37smu9sxNncRlW0sJNNEftaTAoRTKJ&si=_NbN5NdQBDAkuuBa
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If you would like to learn more about participating - or know someone who might - please visit our project website to review previous events.
www.globalfamilyvirtualchoir.org

The next step is to contact us:
[email protected]

Watch the concert here on June 22 at 2:0 pm EDT/USA:
SHINE YOUR LIGHT Concert Streaming Link
https://www.youtube.com/live/KabBVQEcXnU?si=RhiGv0akXgZc6eJv

We look forward to hearing from you soon,

Sondra
Sondra Harnes
Founder/Artistic Director
World Children's Choir
www.worldchildrenschoir.org
(website not updated yet - problem with the server)
Global Family Virtual Choir
www.globalfamilyvirtualchoir.org

05/10/2025

Information/Register Here:
https://forms.gle/neKdMsnWNQu3vRwv5
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Had an interesting "Conversation/Discussion with Chat GPT." There are some words at the beginning of Shine Your Light (our new virtual choir project) that no one could understand. So, I found an online service that transcribed as best it could what the words were. Then I copied and pasted into a question for Chat GPT. Following is the result. It said it could make a transcription, but 24 hours later...nothing. Oh, well, I'm sure the AI tried hard. lol The words sound right - except, I'm hearing the singers include one more syllable.
______________________________________
long response:
The text is a mix of English and Arabic, with a bit of Swahili influence at the end. Here's the translation:

"Hey, enough. Hey, enough. Hey, enough. Hey, enough. Enough, let's go to Kenya."
"خلاص" (khalas) in Arabic means "enough" or "that's it."
"سوغو كنيا" (sugo Kenya) appears to be a phonetic rendering of "let's go Kenya" or "go to Kenya" — likely influenced by Swahili or Arabic dialects.

Would you like this translated into a more natural or formal version?

SH: natural.
Great! Since it's from a song called "Shine Your Light", and you're aiming for American singers, here's a performance-friendly transliteration that flows more naturally in a lyrical or rhythmic context:

"Hey, khalas. Hey, khalas. Hey, khalas. Hey, khalas.
Khalas — sougo Kenya!"

And here's a singer-friendly pronunciation guide (written like it would sound phonetically to American singers):

"Hey, kha-LAHS. Hey, kha-LAHS. Hey, kha-LAHS. Hey, kha-LAHS.
Kha-LAHS — SOO-go KEN-ya!"

You could also slightly stylize it to suit the rhythm of the song, depending on the beat or melody — for example:
"Hey, kha-LAHS (uh)
Hey, kha-LAHS (yeah)
Hey, kha-LAHS (come on)
Hey, kha-LAHS —
Kha-LAHS! Soo-go Kenya!"

Would you like help fitting this into the actual lyrics or beat of the song?

You said:
PERFECT!

ChatGPT said:
Awesome — glad it’s perfect! 🎤✨
If you ever want help tweaking more lyrics, adding harmonies, or even creating a chant or call-and-response section, just say the word.

Are you performing this live or recording it?

You said:
Recording

ChatGPT said:
Nice! Recording gives you the freedom to shape every detail.

Since you're recording:
Play with vocal layering: You could stack the “Hey, khalas” lines with different vocal textures (e.g. one soft, one shouted) for impact.

Use panning: Try spreading the repeated lines across the stereo field to give it a call-and-response or surround feel.

Add rhythmic emphasis: A percussive hit or drop on the final “Sougo Kenya!” can drive it home with power.

Let me know if you'd like help writing a harmony, background vocals, or a quick vocal production

05/05/2025

This is the song we will record - wonderful, uplifting pop song! Our version will be sung in English, no speeches, but same music using original audio tracks provided by the Grammy Award-Winning Songwriters!

Shine Your Light is the "Kindness Anthem" for UNESCO MGIEP
In association with WWF, UNFCCC, UNCCD, UNESCO MGIEP, Earth Day Network

Performances from 8 countries and 13 citiesSong by Grammy Award Winner Ricky Kej, Shine Your Light is the "Kindness Anthem" for UNESCO MGIEPIn association wi...