THE African Children's Choir is formed of disadvantaged children, many orphans due to war or the AIDs virus. DAVID LANGTON finds the choir preparing to raise the roof at All Saints Church.

The beat of the African drum will bring the gothic grandeur of All Saints Church to life with the colours and sounds of God's continent.

Gospel, jazz, hip hop and African tribal tunes will be thrown into the mix as 20 African children, who have battled extreme adversity, take centre stage at the Marlow church for a unique charity concert.

The African Children's Choir, which began touring in 1984, is made up of disadvantaged children mainly orphaned by war or AIDS.

Charlotte Bitarabeho, 27, is in charge of the choir made up of children aged eight to 13. She sang in the choir as a child in 1984.

She said: "These few represent all the children of a continent so often wracked with famine and war and they demonstrate the potential of these children to become strong leaders for a better future in their homeland."

As this tour involves heavyweight venues such as St Paul's Cathedral and Coventry Cathedral the group have all had previous experience. They will be singing at St Paul's directly after Marlow.

Miss Bitarabeho said people should expect something quite different at Marlow's June 13 concert.

She added: "There's going to be a lot of dancing and the children really, really sing. It will be exciting for someone who has never seen this before.

"All the music has a Christian message. There will be traditional African songs and western songs. The choir has its own feel, I can't quite describe it."

Miss Bitaraebho was born in Kabali in Uganda but now lives in the country's capital Kampala where she qualified as a teacher after touring with the choir as a young girl.

She said: "Being in the choir is a life changing experience. How many children this age will be able to come out of Africa and travel the world. It is an education you can't get in a text book."

The choir is made up of children from Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, Ghana and Nigeria.

The primary goal of the choir is to raise awareness of the need of destitute and orphaned children in West and East Africa.

There is no admission charge at the concert and tickets are not required. An offering will be taken.

When the group arrive in Marlow they will be staying with families from the church.

The choir was nominated for a Grammy in 1993 for Best Gospel Choir and over the past 15 years, the choir has appeared in hundreds of concerts, performing at the Royal Albert Hall, the London Palladium and Houses of Parliament at the invitation of former speaker Betty Boothroyd.

They have also sung widely in the United States, including at the United Nations in New York, and in Africa for President Moi of Kenya and for President Museveni of Uganda.

The choir is supported in their tour by "Friends in the West". Ray Barnett founded the organisation in 1974 after working in Uganda on human rights issues during Idi Amin's reign of terror. He took the first African Children's Choir to the US in September 1984.

Miss Bitaraebho said people could be assured that the money was going to the right people as some of the proof will be standing in front of them.

She added: "I am a living example of someone who has gone through the system and there are many others like me."

Promotional and operating overheads are kept to a minimum. Every effort is made to see that 80 per cent of all funds received are channelled directly into child relief efforts. An audited free-will offering is provided during each concert and various CDs, tapes and choir related materials are offered for sale.

The concert begins at 7.30pm.