It can't be often that 70 young African voices are singing "Sinne Fianna Fβil" in perfect unison and with near-perfect pronunciation.
Yet that is exactly the sound that greeted the President, Mrs McAleese, arriving in this poverty-stricken area of eastern Uganda yesterday.
┴mhrβn na bhFiann was being sung loud, clear - and as gaeilge.
"It was a little bit difficult," admitted Jotham Ekisa, the headmaster of Kapokina Primary School, who conducted the virtuoso performance.
The words were first copied down phonetically in the local Iteso language, he said, and it took one month of practice to master them.
"But people here love your President," said Mr Ekisa. "They are very much impressed because of all that Ireland has done."
The roof on Kapokina Primary blew off during a violent storm last Easter, forcing most of the 1,000 pupils to continue classes under trees.
Now Ireland Aid, the Government's foreign aid programme, is paying for eight new classrooms and an administration block. Local people are so impressed they refer to it as "the university".
"Toto Mary McAleese Iyalama akoni bunere," the students sang jubilantly afterwards in Iteso: "Mama Mary McAleese, we are very happy for your coming."
Less pleasing, perhaps, was the salutation accorded to her husband, Dr Martin McAleese. "Papa McAleese, we are happy for having allowed your wife to come to Uganda and for accompanying her."
Kumi has been devastated by insecurity in recent years. Violent cattle raids by armed tribesmen from the neighbouring Karamojong people are still a regular problem in some pockets of Kumi district.
Since 1997 it has been a priority region for Ireland Aid in Uganda. It will receive £1.1 million this year and in 2002 and 2003, mostly for education and healthcare programmes.
"May almighty God bless the taxpayers of Ireland," said Mrs Margaret Kaborot, vice-chair of Kumi district council.
Later the President travelled to Orisai, where Solomon Enbimu had been waiting impatiently.
He was wearing a head-dress made from ostrich feathers, long strings of beads and a goat-hair skirt and had bells tied to his knees. "This is a great honour," he said. "We do not see many bazungu [whites] in this village".
Class sizes in Orisai can still reach 150 pupils, said Dr Andrew Collins, an APSO development worker, although the new school structures paid for by Irish money have improved conditions enormously.
Mrs McAleese leaves Uganda today for northern Kenya, where she will meet Irish missionaries.