Birmingham set to Host International Music Concert at Symphony Hall

The city of Birmingham is getting ready to welcome a choir of Native American women to the International Music Concert to be held in the Symphony Hall in Birmingham on Tuesday 26 July.

More than a hundred women, between the ages of fourteen and eighty-five, from seventeen different tribes and more than forty churches, make up the Native Praise Choir.

The women will sing Cherokee, Choctaw and Creek hymns wearing their native dress. The style of singing also promises to bring an air of originality to the Concert, with the Choir singing in traditional style, unaccompanied and with the conductor being replaced by lead singers.

Despite the Native Praise Choir being sponsored by The Native American LINK, a Christian ministry based in Eufaula, Oklahoma, USA, the Choir members have invested much personal time and investment into making the Concert a reality.

Indian taco sales, garage sales, and a community craft fair are just some of the fund raising events that have been held by the fifty women to support their trip to the UK. The group has also received contributions from local churches and one woman even sold her horse.

Willene Pierce, director of The Native American LINK Inc, said, "When we committed to sponsor this choir trip we expected somewhere between twenty to thirty five of our choir members would make the trip. However, their response has been overwhelming. Each woman is responsible for paying her own way."

Native Praise will also be performing at the Baptist World Alliance Women’s Leadership Conference, before heading to the International Music Concert at Aston University.

Grammy award-winning American gospel artist Larnelle Harris will also make a show for the Concert, as well as UK worship leader Geraldine Latty. The Concert will also see performances from choirs, soloists and music groups from Trinidad, Mexico, Latvia, India, Congo, Angola, Russia, Nagaland and Korea.