Oslo Soul Children was founded in March 2001, by Ragnhild Hiis Ånestad. This is a choir with singers at the age between 10-16 years, who perform Gospel music, rock, soul and R’n B. The founding of OSC developed into a concept for tweens and later to a whole choir-movement with choirs for all age groups and a big choir festival, in close collaboration with “Acta - children and youth of Normisjon”.
Oslo Soul Children
• Norway's leading choir for children and teenagers
• Recording artist with 7 CD releases
• Concerts and tours nationally and internationally, both alone and together with other artist
• A pilot choir for the concept that develops and tests what would work musically, spiritually and socially
Soul Children Concept
• 70 choirs locally in Norway, and also choirs in Japan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Slovakia
Soul Children Festival
• Mass Choir with 1500 singers
• International artists and instructors
• Concerts in Oslo concert house, on the roof of the opera building and at central station
• Workshops for the youths, workshops for leaders, band workshops, Get Up Service, Late Night Show and more
Oslo Soul Children
Oslo Soul Children is a recording choir for children and teenagers and consists of fifty auditioned singers. The music they sing is written and arranged by their awesome staff of musicians, and contains elements of pop, soul, R`n B and contemporary gospel.
The group’s vision is to win and retain young people for the gospel through songs and music the youngster recognizes themselves in!
Oslo Soul Children has performed for the King, the Queen and the Prime Minister of Norway on several occasions. They have also performed with artists such as Josh Groban (US), Kirk Franklin (US), Myron Butler (US), Walt Whitman (US) and A1 (UK), Samuel Ljongblad (S), Joakim Arenius & Praise Unit (S), Hans Christian Jochimsen (DK) and Donkeyboy (N).
The choir toured San Francisco and Los Angeles Easter 2004 and Easter 2007, where they met The Hawkins Family, Darrel Coley, Rikey Grundy, Rodena Preston, among others. In October 2010 they will tour US again, this time in Chicago, Orlando and Miami.
Many of the singers in Oslo Soul Children have also contributed as solo singers in theatre production, musicals and shows like Les Miserable’s, Annie, The Lion King, Peter Pan, High School Musical, at Cartoon Network and at Disney Channel. The choir has also done multiple TV performances and two of the last was at “Skavland” and the Norwegian Grammy Award Show.
The Soul Children Concept
Soul Children in Norway is a choir concept for kids in the age group raging from 10 to 16. It is meant for those who feel that they are too old to sing in a regular children’s choir, but too young to start in a youth choir. Most of the music have been originally written and produced for this concept. All the lyrics have a positive content, and can be found in English, Spanish, Danish or Norwegian.
Our wish trough this project is to engage more children and teens in Christian ministry. Our most important goal is to win and maintain kids and teenagers for Christ through music and song in their own expression. The vision is that the Soul Children concept will inspire and give birth to new ideas when it comes to ministry involving kids and youths, and to have them establish Soul Children choirs all around Norway – and in other countries.
This is one of ACTA`s (Children and Youth of Normisjon) main projects, and the criteria for becoming a Soul Children choir is that the leaders share our vision to win and maintain kids and teenagers for Christ through music and song in their own expression.
The Soul Children Festival
The Seventh Soul Children Festival will take place from the 20th to the 22nd of May 2011 in Oslo.
There will a Mass Choir with about 1500 voices, concerts, seminars, get up service, band seminars and seminars for leaders.
We want our participants to learn new songs, have great concert-experiences, make new friends and get inspiration that will help them with their local work. We also believe that a festival like this creates togetherness and a sense of belonging – and we want to inspire them musically, spiritually and socially!
THE SOUL CHILDREN FAMILY
We experience the Soul Children movement as a big family. It’s a family that grows across all of Norway, and now also across boarders to other countries. In addition to the concept spreading to new places, we also experience that our target group expands. We wish to present an offer to the whole family, and therefore we find it necessary to extend the concept. We will not change the criteria and purpose of Soul Children, but we are now adding elements – this is already starting several places in our country.
Soul Children
These are the first criteria set to be a Soul Children choir in Norway:
1. The lower age limit is 10 years.
2. The Crew (leaders) has to share the vision to reach and keep children and youth for Christ.
3. The choir will have to be a member of Acta – children and youth of Normisjon, or FriBu.
4. The choir will have to follow the directions and guidelines drawn by Acta, in terms of the vision/purpose, royalties, promotion and style. Every choir must order their own Soul Children logo.
5. Soul Children attach importance to the musical expression, and this must be accommodated for the target group. But these three pillars are equally important in Soul Children; the spiritual, the social and the musical environment!
Pre Soul Children (younger than 10 years)
Pre Soul Children works practically as a normal children's choir for children who are not old enough to be included in the Soul Children. Several places have already started Pre Soul Children Choirs, as a supplement to the Soul Children. In some places, the choirs are run by the same leaders, and the rehearsals are arranged on the same day. It can also be organized as two more separate choirs, but we wish that there is a close connection and collaboration between the Soul Children and Pre Soul Children. This can be organized through the common web site, common events, recruitment of members and elsewhere in the vision and structure. Pre Soul Children Choirs will in the same way as Soul Children abide to the criteria set by Acta (except age), and order their own logo for use on clothing, website, posters, etc. This is also the Soul Children collection appropriate for Pre Soul Children Choirs.
Soul Teens (from 15 years and up)
Many of the Soul Children members, who turn 16 years old, wish to continue in the choir. One reason is the lack of other youth choir opportunities where they live. To meet the demand of the members who grow out of Soul Children, Soul Teens groups have been established, first in Oslo and now in other parts of the country as well. To join a Soul Teens group, you have to be at least 15 years old or attend 10th grade, which is the last year of Junior High School. But the target group is primarily youth in Senior High school. Soul Teens operate in close collaboration with the Soul Children, and this is a desired connection.
Acta want to recruit Soul Teens members among those who have grown too old for the Soul Children. It is required for Soul Teens-groups to abide to the same criteria set by Acta (except age), and order their own logo for use on clothing, website, posters, etc.
Acta’s administration is presently working to create models and material especially suited for Soul Teens. Included is an upcoming Soul Teens Musical with the working title “Sharper”, planned to be recorded and published on CD/DVD during autumn 2011. The plot of the musical is mainly dealing with the challenges of being a Christian teenager in a secular world, based on the Biblical verse in Heb. 4:12: "God's word is alive and thriving. It is sharper than any two-edged sword". The idea is further that the local Soul Teens-groups can make use of the musical and surrounding resource material.
Soul Children Family Choir
The idea of creating a family choir connected to the Soul Children, was also conceived in the pilot choir in Oslo. In the Soul Children movement, we wish to engage parents, brothers and sisters of the choir members. Soul Children Family Choir serves as a collection and an arena for the whole family. In this choir, there is room for all; Pre Soul Children, Soul Children, Soul Teens and grandparents / parents / brothers / sisters etc.! The choir can be operated project-based, or with regular rehearsals (such as once a month). Many Soul Children members come from families with distant church-relations, and this is a great way to include the whole family in our vision!
Ragnhild Hiis Aanestad has been choir director for several choirs since 1990. She teaches at workshops all over Scandinavia and for eight years Ragnhild was the musical leader of the Norwegian Gospel Voices. She is the promoter of the Soul Children Festival and founder of the Soul Children Concept, which is the most growing choir-movement in Norway – with 70 local choirs. Ragnhild is the musical leader and the originator of the recording artists, Oslo Soul Children and Oslo Soul Teens. In addition to this, she has been conductor, singer, songwriter and producer of a number of CD productions.
www.soulchildren.no
