Behind the scenes figure in Australian Christian music dies aged 86.

A KEY FIGURE in the development of Australian Christian music and youth evangelism has died. Alan Petterson, founder of the Young World Singers and The Travellers, passed away on 27th March, aged 86. Young World Singers, a group of 25 young singers, performed across Australia and New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines, throughout the '60s and early '70s. The group recorded 11 LPs and contributed to a number of mainstream albums with artists such as Tommy Tycho. In the mid-'80s, Petterson expanded the concept to form what virtually became Australia's first full-time touring group called The Travellers. The 12-man group - similar to America's Continental Singers - toured Australia nine months of each year, performing in high schools, universities and prisons. CR

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