Presentation  

Born in 2005, the Amazing Grace Kids Choir offers to about sixty children from 8 to 17 years old one human and musical quality experience. Due to a chosen wide repertoire (African songs, negro-spiritual, gospel, songs from all countries and classic music) and its original representations, the happiness and relax filling are present during the concerts. The choir is doing repetition two to three times per week in one room of Saint-Marie School in ANTONY , located south of PARIS . The concerts and the concert tours in FRANCE and abroad allow the choir members to meet different public and discover different new places.

Our goal is to bring peace with our songs; choir members regularly offer concerts to poor people or people in difficulties. The name of Amazing grace is a symbol of peace and faith in which the Choir find his way. This famous song was made in the 18 th century by John Newton, an old slave driver, that become after is conversion a truly defender of slaved people.

The musical direction of the choir is made by Olivier Glaize. The piano accompaniment is made by Marie Giang NGO.

* * *

The Amazing Grace Kids Choir is getting support from the City of Antony and from the School of « Sainte-Marie ». We thank our benefactor friends, as well as the parish, the associations and cities which invite us for our concerts and tours.

If you want to learn more about the Choir: www.AmazingGrace.fr

Why Amazing Grace ?

The name Amazing Grace is the symbol of peace and faith in which the Choir find his way. This famous song was made in the 18 th century by an old slave driver, John Newton. Born in London in 1725, from one father captain of a merchant vessel, john Newton started work at 12 years old, as a ship's boy. After few years in the Royal Navy of Great Britain, he became assistant, then captain of slave merchant vessel. The 10 th May of 1748, during one trip, he only just escaped from a shipwreck due to a strong storm. This experience was a turning point in his life: he turned himself to God. After several years of study and thoughts, he became an Anglican priest. In 1764, he is nominated at Olney. This is at this time that he wrote the song Amazing Grace in which he mentioned his conversion: “Amazing grace how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me; I once was lost but now I am found, Was blind but now, I see, How precious did grace appear, The hour I first believed, Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come, Twas grace that brought me safe thus far”. In 1780, he became local education officer in the church of Saint Mary-Woolnoth in London .

At that time the all new Oratorio of Haendel, “the Messiah”, became a huge success. The sermons of John Newton that have for theme the booklet of the Oratorio attract lots of faithful, like the young William Wilberforce (1759 – 1833). This encounter between the two men will be decisive in the politic career of Wilberforce: member of the Common Chamber, he will fight, at John Newton express request, for abolition of slavery in Britain Empire. Even if he became blind, John Newton will continue to preach until the end of his life. He died in London on the 21 st December of 1807. Just before he died, aware of the harm he did in his life against the slaves, he declares that : “ My memory is nearly gone; but I remember two things: that I am a great Sinner and that Christ is a great Saviour ”.  

Slavery will be abolished in the British Empire on the 26th of July 1833. In France and in the colonies, it will wait until the intervention of Victor Schoelcher (1804 – 1883), member of the temporary government of 1848 (second Republic), for the slavery to be abolished on the 27 th of April 1848: “Lets say and say to our children, did he say, that, as long as one slave will still be on earth, the enslavement of this man is a permanent insult made to all human race”. Historians reckon to 15 millions the number of African that have been moved to America between 1540 and 1850. Men, women and kids chained up by feet and hands, crammed into merchant vessel, transported at the other side of the world. Only half of them did survive during this trip, the other died as a result of smallpox, dysentery or suicide.

Today, slavery took other forms: in his 2001 report, the International Work Office of UNO estimates for example to 246 millions the number of kids from 5 to 17 years old in the world that could not go to school. Those kids work in agriculture, craft industry, sometimes in infernal work conditions. Among them, 120 millions live in the street.

Informed and aware of those questions, the young choir members realise that selfishness is not an ideal, neither injustice a fate. The name AMAZING GRACE given to the choir shows in fact the wish to make it an educational place for the young people around one motto: “SOW PEACE”. The songs that we do are always an occasion for talking about justice and peace problems in the world. Several times in the year, between 2 concerts, the choir offers musical moments to people in difficulties (old people taken in by The Little Sisters of Poor People, homeless persons in reception centres, sick kids or handicapped persons, etc…). Every musical moment ends up by a shared snack in which choir members are invited to meet the audience, to go to meet the one that is different from them!

The name AMAZING GRACE is also one invitation: choir members, parents of choir members, member of the audience that came to listen to us, musical director or pianist, everyone, we are invited to integrate the statement of principal promoted by UNO on Jospeh Wresinski's initiative and engraved on the 17 th October 1987 on the Human Rights and Freedom Square in Paris:

“Wherever men and women are condemned to live in poverty, human rights are violated. To come together to ensure that these rights be respected is our solemn duty”