Ten Sing
Encyclopedia
TEN SING is a youth work method within the YWCA
and YMCA
.
It organizes groups of young people from 11 years and up (some countries have a higher entry age), ranging in size from a handful to several tens of members. Membership is open to all and does not require any type of talent, skill or training.
TEN SING is based on the core goals and values of YWCA
and YMCA
with an emphasis on the following:
in 1968. The name "TEN SING" is a combination of the Norwegian suffix
"-ten" (en. "-teen") and the English word "sing" – a kind of language mixing that was quite common in Norway at the time.
The first TEN SING group was started in Bergen
by Kjell Grønner. It was inspired by Sing Out, which later became known as Up with People
.
In 1981 the International YMCA conference was held in Bergen, and attending that same conference from the YMCA in Sheffield, UK, were two delegates by the name of Keith Wells (General Secretary of the Sheffield YMCA) and Blair Crawford. They were so impressed by the whole youth culture and performing arts ministry that the Ten Sing choir had developed that they consulted with them and arranged for the Bergen Ten Sing choir to travel to Sheffield on tour. There were a number of concerts held, which were both recorded on video and on Cassette Tape, in church locations in the city. The resulting success of the concert led to the setting up of the first Ten Sing choir outside of Norway later on in 1982. Over the next three years Ten Sing Sheffield kept in close contact with Ten Sing Bergen and this close friendship led to the Sheffield choir making a return trip on tour to Fana, Bergen, in July 1985, enjoying the hospitality of the Bergen Choir.
(By 1984 the Norwegian YWCA
–YMCA
started "exporting" the TEN SING method to other countries. Today there are hundreds of TEN SING groups all over the world.)
In January 1986 the Ten Sing Sheffield choir had grown so much, both in size and ideas of how to link into youth culture, that the original choir split in two, forming Tensing Hosanna, a more choral based group, leading worship and music events in a church based context; and Ten Sing Freedom, a more performing arts, drama and youth street-work group. Both Ten Sing groups continued to flourish for a number of years in Sheffield.
By 1986 further Ten Sing groups had started up around the UK. In some areas they had adopted the name Y-Sing, and in others had remained faithful to the name Ten Sing. The YMCA in Plymouth had a Y-Sing group, and had appointed a norwegian musical director by the name of Kjersti Thoen. Members of both Ten Sing Freedom in Sheffield and Plymouth Y-Sing converged on Portsmout, UK, to bring their groups together for a weekend of working together to help Portsmouth YMCA establish their own Ten sing / Y-Sing group.
Sadly in the 1990s the YMCA in Sheffield had to make serious decisions about its future. The original founder members and subsequent leaders of the groups had already moved on and the Ten Sing Hosanna choir had quit the YMCA, severing connections with Ten Sing movement. Neither group exists anymore in Sheffield.
and abroad, presenting the TEN SING method through concerts and seminars. Tuition is based in Rønningen Folk High School in Oslo
.
More are listed at the German TEN SING-Homepage.
U-sving Ullern Ten Sing,
Joysing Voksen Ten Sing,
Response Gjøvik Ten Sing,
Sjibbolet Hauketo/Prinsdal Ten Sing,
Good News Østerås Ten Sing,
Avertimento Høvik Ten Sing,
Synzygus Karmøy Ten Sing,
Kopperud Ten Sing,
De Umulige Tonsen Ten Sing,
Ten Sing Tromøy,
Bergen Ten Sing,
Ås Ten Sing,
Grimstad Ten Sing,
Lier Ten Sing,
Amateur Ten Sing Bærum,
Appell Ten Sing Arendal,
Asker Ten Sing,
Crazing Ten Sing Florø,
Crescendo Ten Sing Bærum,
Jatsi Ten Sing Jar,
Justus Ski Ten Sing,
Krispo Ten Sing Sandane,
Lommedalen Ten Sing
Lukas Ten Sing Sotra,
Løkka Ten Sing Oslo,
Praising Ten Sing Hamar,
Refleks Ten Sing Vonheim,
Røyken Ten Sing Flambeaux,
Sanctus Ten Sing Åsane,
Slettebakken Ten Sing Bergen,
Teasing Ten Sing Askøy,
Tromsdalen Ten Sing Tromsø,
Ytrebygda Ten Sing Fana,
Østenstad Ten Sing Pappas Barn,
Nordberg Ten Sing Oslo,
Ten Sing Bømlo,
YWCA
The YWCA USA is the United States branch of a women's membership movement that strives to create opportunities for women's growth, leadership and power in order to attain a common vision—to eliminate racism and empower women. The YWCA is a non-profit organization, the first of which was founded in...
and YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
.
It organizes groups of young people from 11 years and up (some countries have a higher entry age), ranging in size from a handful to several tens of members. Membership is open to all and does not require any type of talent, skill or training.
Activities, goals and values
TEN SING is based on the core goals and values of YWCA
YWCA
The YWCA USA is the United States branch of a women's membership movement that strives to create opportunities for women's growth, leadership and power in order to attain a common vision—to eliminate racism and empower women. The YWCA is a non-profit organization, the first of which was founded in...
and YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
with an emphasis on the following:
- Performing artsPerforming artsThe performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
- A TEN SING group is primarily a choirChoirA choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
. However most groups also work with other types of performances such as danceDanceDance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
and dramaDramaDrama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
. Most groups also have a bandBand (music)In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
, usually set up with typical rock musicRock musicRock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
instruments. In addition, many groups engage in activities related to PAPublic addressA public address system is an electronic amplification system with a mixer, amplifier and loudspeakers, used to reinforce a sound source, e.g., a person giving a speech, a DJ playing prerecorded music, and distributing the sound throughout a venue or building.Simple PA systems are often used in...
systems, Stage lightingStage lightingModern stage lighting is a flexible tool in the production of theatre, dance, opera and other performance arts. Several different types of stage lighting instruments are used in the pursuit of the various principles or goals of lighting. Stage lighting has grown considerably in recent years...
, multimediaMultimediaMultimedia is media and content that uses a combination of different content forms. The term can be used as a noun or as an adjective describing a medium as having multiple content forms. The term is used in contrast to media which use only rudimentary computer display such as text-only, or...
presentations, creative seminars, social events etc. - Youth empowermentYouth empowermentYouth empowerment is an attitudinal, structural, and cultural process whereby young people gain the ability, authority, and agency to make decisions and implement change in their own lives and the lives of other people, including youth and adults....
- A primary goal of TEN SING is to empower young people by giving them responsibility, developing their skills and strengthening their social networkSocial networkA social network is a social structure made up of individuals called "nodes", which are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as friendship, kinship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike, sexual relationships, or relationships of beliefs, knowledge or prestige.Social...
s. The groups are run and governed democraticallyDemocracyDemocracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
by the members, with adults standing by as necessary. - DiversityMulticulturalismMulticulturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
- Having a heterogeneous membership base with a multiplicity of backgrounds, skills and outlooks is seen as an important asset that solidifies the group and makes it more creative. - Open-mindedness - The method is based on ChristianChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
beliefs, and many groups cooperate with local churches. However, young people with different faithFaithFaith is confidence or trust in a person or thing, or a belief that is not based on proof. In religion, faith is a belief in a transcendent reality, a religious teacher, a set of teachings or a Supreme Being. Generally speaking, it is offered as a means by which the truth of the proposition,...
s or lack of such are welcome to join the groups. Their beliefs will be respected and they will be invited to share their views.
Origin
TEN SING originated from NorwayNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
in 1968. The name "TEN SING" is a combination of the Norwegian suffix
Suffix
In linguistics, a suffix is an affix which is placed after the stem of a word. Common examples are case endings, which indicate the grammatical case of nouns or adjectives, and verb endings, which form the conjugation of verbs...
"-ten" (en. "-teen") and the English word "sing" – a kind of language mixing that was quite common in Norway at the time.
The first TEN SING group was started in Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
by Kjell Grønner. It was inspired by Sing Out, which later became known as Up with People
Up with People
Up with People is an international education organization founded in 1968 by J. Blanton Belk, building from roots in the similar "Sing-Out" program of 1965. Up With People is best known for their musical performances by international casts consisting of 70–100 students from, on average, 20...
.
In 1981 the International YMCA conference was held in Bergen, and attending that same conference from the YMCA in Sheffield, UK, were two delegates by the name of Keith Wells (General Secretary of the Sheffield YMCA) and Blair Crawford. They were so impressed by the whole youth culture and performing arts ministry that the Ten Sing choir had developed that they consulted with them and arranged for the Bergen Ten Sing choir to travel to Sheffield on tour. There were a number of concerts held, which were both recorded on video and on Cassette Tape, in church locations in the city. The resulting success of the concert led to the setting up of the first Ten Sing choir outside of Norway later on in 1982. Over the next three years Ten Sing Sheffield kept in close contact with Ten Sing Bergen and this close friendship led to the Sheffield choir making a return trip on tour to Fana, Bergen, in July 1985, enjoying the hospitality of the Bergen Choir.
(By 1984 the Norwegian YWCA
YWCA
The YWCA USA is the United States branch of a women's membership movement that strives to create opportunities for women's growth, leadership and power in order to attain a common vision—to eliminate racism and empower women. The YWCA is a non-profit organization, the first of which was founded in...
–YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
started "exporting" the TEN SING method to other countries. Today there are hundreds of TEN SING groups all over the world.)
In January 1986 the Ten Sing Sheffield choir had grown so much, both in size and ideas of how to link into youth culture, that the original choir split in two, forming Tensing Hosanna, a more choral based group, leading worship and music events in a church based context; and Ten Sing Freedom, a more performing arts, drama and youth street-work group. Both Ten Sing groups continued to flourish for a number of years in Sheffield.
By 1986 further Ten Sing groups had started up around the UK. In some areas they had adopted the name Y-Sing, and in others had remained faithful to the name Ten Sing. The YMCA in Plymouth had a Y-Sing group, and had appointed a norwegian musical director by the name of Kjersti Thoen. Members of both Ten Sing Freedom in Sheffield and Plymouth Y-Sing converged on Portsmout, UK, to bring their groups together for a weekend of working together to help Portsmouth YMCA establish their own Ten sing / Y-Sing group.
Sadly in the 1990s the YMCA in Sheffield had to make serious decisions about its future. The original founder members and subsequent leaders of the groups had already moved on and the Ten Sing Hosanna choir had quit the YMCA, severing connections with Ten Sing movement. Neither group exists anymore in Sheffield.
Key events
- August 2006: European TEN SING Festival in AarhusAarhusAarhus or Århus is the second-largest city in Denmark. The principal port of Denmark, Aarhus is on the east side of the peninsula of Jutland in the geographical center of Denmark...
, DenmarkDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark... - 3–9 August 2008: YMCAYMCAThe Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
Europe Festival in PraguePraguePrague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, Czech RepublicCzech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest.... - 31 July - 6 August 2011: European TEN SING Festival in ZiegenhainSchwalmstadtSchwalmstadt is the largest town in the Schwalm-Eder district, in northern Hesse, Germany. It was established only in 1970 with the amalgamation of the towns of Treysa and Ziegenhain together with some outlying villages to form the town of Schwalmstadt.-Location:Schwalmstadt lies in the Schwalm...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
TEN SING Norway
TEN SING Norway is a one year curriculum at Volda University College (KULS) yielding 75 credits. It is open for experienced members of TEN SING groups who qualify for Norwegian university studies. Up to 30 students are admitted each year. During the year, the students cooperate with YWCA's and YMCA's in NorwayNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and abroad, presenting the TEN SING method through concerts and seminars. Tuition is based in Rønningen Folk High School in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
.
Sources
- Høgne, Guro (1998): TEN SINGs betydning for musikalsk og personlig utvikling: et casestudie av et TEN SING-kor (en. The significance of TEN SING for musical and personal development: A case study of a TEN SING choir). Master Thesis, Oslo University.
- Ulstein, Jan Ove (red.): TEN SING Norway International Inc.: perspektiv på ti års prosjektliv. (en. TEN SING Norway International inc.: perspective on ten years project life). Report. Volda University College.
- TEN SING Norway Homepage
- Description of the TEN SING Norway Curriculum
External links
Note: Please keep listings in alphabetical orderInternational sites
National sites
- TEN SING in Belarus
- TEN SING in Czech Republic
- TEN SING in Denmark
- TEN SING in England
- TEN SING in Germany
- TEN SING in Norway
- TEN SING in Switzerland
- TEN SING in Ukraine
- TEN SING in Poland
TEN SING groups in Belarus
TEN SING groups in The Czech Republic
TEN SING groups in Denmark
- TEN SING Tune
- TEN SING K
- TEN SING Online
- TEN SING Næstved
- TEN SING Slagelse
- TEN SING Hasle
- TEN SING Midtjylland
- TEN SING 7
- TEN SING Vibes
TEN SING groups in England
- Histon TEN SING
- Kingswood TEN SING
- West Bromwich TEN SING
- Cambridge TEN SING
- Swavesey TEN SING
- Comberton TEN SING
- Clevedon TEN SING
- North Tyneside TEN SING
TEN SING groups in Estonia
- Legend TEN SING in Tallinn
- Villu TEN SING in Viljandi
TEN SING groups in Germany
- TEN SING Stuttgart-Möhringen
- TEN SING Bremen
- TEN SING Emmental
- TEN SING Kürten
- TEN SING Oberalster (Hamburg)
- TEN SING Bochum
- TEN SING Knetterheide
More are listed at the German TEN SING-Homepage.
TEN SING groups in Norway
- Bodø TEN SING
- Refleks TEN SING, Voss
- Skøyen TEN SING
- Lightning Hoeggen TEN SING
- Lier TEN SING
- NETS (Nedre Eiker TEN SING)
- Amasing Ten Sing Porsgrunn
- Rising Ris Ten Sing
- Impuls Grorud Ten Sing
- Candeo Gospel
- Strindheim Ten Sing
- Ten Sing Bømlo
U-sving Ullern Ten Sing,
Joysing Voksen Ten Sing,
Response Gjøvik Ten Sing,
Sjibbolet Hauketo/Prinsdal Ten Sing,
Good News Østerås Ten Sing,
Avertimento Høvik Ten Sing,
Synzygus Karmøy Ten Sing,
Kopperud Ten Sing,
De Umulige Tonsen Ten Sing,
Ten Sing Tromøy,
Bergen Ten Sing,
Ås Ten Sing,
Grimstad Ten Sing,
Lier Ten Sing,
Amateur Ten Sing Bærum,
Appell Ten Sing Arendal,
Asker Ten Sing,
Crazing Ten Sing Florø,
Crescendo Ten Sing Bærum,
Jatsi Ten Sing Jar,
Justus Ski Ten Sing,
Krispo Ten Sing Sandane,
Lommedalen Ten Sing
Lukas Ten Sing Sotra,
Løkka Ten Sing Oslo,
Praising Ten Sing Hamar,
Refleks Ten Sing Vonheim,
Røyken Ten Sing Flambeaux,
Sanctus Ten Sing Åsane,
Slettebakken Ten Sing Bergen,
Teasing Ten Sing Askøy,
Tromsdalen Ten Sing Tromsø,
Ytrebygda Ten Sing Fana,
Østenstad Ten Sing Pappas Barn,
Nordberg Ten Sing Oslo,
Ten Sing Bømlo,
TEN SING groups in Switzerland
- Aare TEN SING
- TEN SING Arbon
- TEN SING Baar
- TEN SING Basel
- TEN SING Bümpliz
- TEN SING Dietikon
- TEN SING Ebnat-Kappel
- TEN SING Emmental
- TEN SING Gloggi (Zürich)
- Leue TEN SING
- TEN SING Pfäffikersee
- TEN SING Reinach
- TEN SING Seebach
- TEN SING Stäfa
- TEN SING Steffisburg
- TEN SING Uetikon
- SING Uster
- TEN SING Uznach
- TEN SING Vechigen
- TEN SING Wädi/Richti