A total of 1500 Norwegians together with 500 participants from YMCA Europe, Asia and Africa joined to take part in the 2018 European Ten Sing festival – SPEKTER. The theme of the festival was Connected, and throughout the week we got connected to life, science, the future, culture and God, which were the different “topics of the day”.
The previous European Ten Sing festival was in Ziegenhain, Germany in 2011. For this special Ten Sing anniversary it was time to bring the festival back to Norway where it all began fifty years ago, to celebrate both our history and the movement today. Together Ten Singers from Sri Lanka, Lithuania, Albania, Armenia, Hungary, China, Switzerland, Denmark, Belarus, England, Norway, Russia, Czech Republic, Germany, Ukraine, Kenya and Tanzania created memories that will last a lifetime.
The festival provided space for everyone in a multi-cultural, Christian community. Ten singers got to experience concerts from different Ten Sing groups; sports activities; faith; big shows in the circus tent; workshops; civic engagement; dialogue and music.
On the last day of Spekter former Ten Sing members from the very beginning joined to celebrate Ten Sing’s 50th anniversary. Ten Sing’s founding father Kjell Grønner also took part in the huge celebration that started with a Jubilee show – with the sound of Ten Sing through fifty years, you could really feel the Ten Sing spirit!
The rest of the day was packed with Ten Sing activities. At Ten Sing Square you could learn about show production, conducting or choreography. At the Ten Sing stage you could really experience the diversity of Ten Sing. The world’s longest existing Ten Sing group – Sky Sing from Stavanger performed. You could also experience Ten Sing England, Ten Sing Ukraine and Ten Sing Guangzhou from China. Some used playback, others performed with a full band. Some danced, others used folk music, everyone sings! In front of the stage there was always Ten Sing-supporters cheering and singing along.
Highlight of the week was connecting with old and new friends from all over Europe, and the world. Thankfully we can all reconnect in London next summer for YMCA175 Event.!
