From Waifs to Songbirds: The World Vision Korean Orphan Choir

Abstract:Within Korean studies, there has been an exponential interest in studying sound and music in relation to contemporary Korean expressive culture. What may have been traditionally engaged by only music and performance studies specialists is now open to scholars from outside the music disciplines. In this expanding subfield of Korean studies, it is important to keep in mind that intentionally tuning into the sonic and sensory experience of musical performance can only further enrich analyses. This sonic engagement does not require a musicologist's ear, but rather invites a consideration of the politics of sound.This article amplifies a 1963 recording that featured a collaboration between the American entertainer Burl Ives and the World Vision Korean Orphan Choir. On the first listen, the folksy balladeer most known for his mellifluous voice may seem an odd musical partner for 34 children from postwar South Korea. In this article I explore this unusual partnership and present some background context on World Vision—the faith based humanitarian organization founded by evangelical minister Bob Pierce in 1950. Drawing on archival research and oral history interviews, I attempt to unravel some of the threads of a larger story that involves Cold War politics, US/South Korea relations, evangelical Christianity, and transnational adoption. Through a close musical analysis of the 1963 recording, I argue that the performances of religiosity by the Korean Orphan Choir orchestrated some of the key affective themes that were mobilized to garner support for World Vision's child sponsorship program, which began in South Korea.