The Haitian Youth Choir of Holy Trinity Church in Port-au-Prince, Haiti will begin a 24-city U.S. concert tour with its first stop in Newcastle, Maine on Saturday, Aug. 24. The choir of 30 boys and girls ages 10 to 16, and an eight-piece chamber ensemble, will perform Haitian folk and sacred music at the Second Congregational Church, 51 Main St. in Newcastle at 7 p.m.

The concert is a benefit for the music school at Holy Trinity Church, which was destroyed in the 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti. According to David Cesar, director of the school: “The concert tour of Les Petits Chanteurs and the Chamber Ensemble is vital to our music program. For the first time in our 63-year history we do not have an official music school space. We have been in temporary spaces, often practicing and giving instruction outside. We have found some spaces in which to perform, but we long for a permanent home. We have not given up. We will never give up. Music is our life.”

The children will be hosted for a few days in the area, with parishioners from St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church and the Second Congregational Church providing housing. Events such as boat rides and picnics are being arranged for them as well. In addition to the two churches, the choirs’ tour in Newcastle is being supported by Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust and Round Top Ice Cream in Damariscotta.

For more information about the concert, call 563-2416 or 563-3533