Night to remember singing in Children of the World Choir

Night to remember singing in Children of the World Choir

Anshu Agarwal, Contributor, Jakarta

A thousand children flocked into the Jakarta Convention Center in Senayan, Central Jakarta, on Oct. 10 to attend the Children of the World Choir Indonesia performance. As an eighth grade student at the Texmaco DPS International School considered myself lucky to be there.

That night was an unforgettable experience as I had to work with other students who had come from different places in Indonesia.

The choir we performed in that night symbolized harmony, joy, unity and above all, hope.

The childrens' ages ranged from six to nineteen years old. They came from different cultures, races, languages, religion, nationalities and socio-economic backgrounds.

The world choir stressed the importance of unity in Indonesia. Children came together through music and dance performances to express our solidarity for peace and unity.

We, the children, managed to interact with each other, work together as well as enjoy ourselves during the performances.

Every child sang proudly and all of us felt great.

I myself could not believe that I was a part of such a big event. I got the chance to practice better creativity and talent. It was really a memorable event. I interacted with many children and came to know more about the life of Indonesians, especially those who came from strife-torn provinces such as Maluku, Irian Jaya as well as others that have suffered economic hardship and natural disasters.

I also managed to interact with students from international schools and learned a lot.

The main point of being a part of this event was "unity in diversity". I learned to know more about other international schools and various facilities they provide. I also learned a lot about different cultures, religions and countries.

I really appreciated all the schools performances at the event.

The Indonesian schools were very good with their amazing and wonderful performances. They all looked very beautiful wearing traditional costumes and accessories.

I also loved the Jakarta International School (JIS) choir performance as their synchronization was outstanding.

As for my school, we depicted the Indian culture. We performed our national anthem and another song entitled Ye Wakt Na Thearey Ga, meaning "Time isn't going to wait for you so you better take your next step right now".

I really appreciated the event's organizers who had worked very well in staging the show.

This program was not only to entertain and unite a thousand children. Instead, the funds collected through the sale of tickets, television shows and VCD sale was meant to bring the poor and needy children of our society a better future.

I will always look forward for an opportunity to participate in other events like this. It is hard to deny that music is a way to erase differences and unite for the future. It is a symbol of peace and unity in the midst of a turbulent and divided world.

Anshu Agarwal was born on Sept. 23, 1989, and currently an eight grade student of the Texmaco DPS International School, located in Karawang, West Java.