By NICK SLEPKO

The No. 1 export from America to other nations is culture and, even in spite of WTO, Seattle's exports are still in high demand around the world.

This summer, the North Seattle-based One Voice youth choir will be touring from Seville to Barcelona at the request of the Spanish government.

While there, they will be featured on national Spanish television and in radio and newspaper interviews. They will be the first international choir of its kind to sing with a national choir.

As part of an ongoing effort to revive arts and culture in Spain, the government is sponsoring the tour. For over 35 years, Spain was ruled by the dictator Francisco Franco. While fascism may have got the trains moving on time, it tended to be a real downer for personal freedom and expression.

Over the course of two-and-a-half weeks, 55 youth (ranging from teenagers to early 20-somethings) and 10 adults (ranging from old to older) will be performing.

While there, One Voice will be joining with their Iberian peers in the National Youth Choir of Spain. Together, they will sing (in both Spanish and English) at locations throughout the country, including the world-famous San Sebastian Jazz Festival.

Each member of the choir will have to raise $2,000 in order to go on the trip. Through a combination of fundraisers, serve-a-thon pledge drives, birthday money, good ole' dad, and just plain hard work, they hope to amass the $125,000 needed to get across the Atlantic come July 10.

February saw the kick-off of their fundraising efforts with a dessert theater on Valentine's Day and a benefit auction held at the end of the month. At the dinner theater, Sam Vance of Greenwood's Taproot Theater Co., directed his modern-day rendition of the story of Jonah and the Whale, complete with a sackcloth fashion show and Elvis.

However, probably the most bizarre occurrence to date was at the auction. A bidding frenzy broke out over a lamp. After going for over $400, it beat out several of the vacation packages that were being auctioned off. Score one for "the classic swing arm and the hard pleated shade." The auction raised about 24,000 dollars.

Though a church choir, One Voice comes as pleasant surprise to those who are not expecting their predominantly contemporary repertoire. Their songs range from passionate crescendos to rump-shaking African-toned ditties.

After having worked successfully in the construction industry, Alan Skoog went into ministry full-time and in 1971 began working with youth choirs.

In 1994, One Voice formed at Calvary Temple Seattle, in the Roosevelt Neighborhood. It draws youth from all over the Seattle metropolitan area, including the Eastside and as far north as Everett. One Voice is open to anyone between the ages of 14 and 25. No experience is required.

Many members have gone on to pursue activities in both music and ministry. One member sometime back joined because he liked the girls. Now he is a senior pastor at a new church in the Lake City-area.

One of the goals of the trip is to share with the Spanish choir One Voice's experiences both spiritually and professionally. The musicians, all accomplished in their own right, will be teaching their counterparts in Europe what they know while the choirs sing and share with each other.

The gringos in the choir have already begun to learn 20 of the songs they will sing - in both Spanish and English.

When asked how a quintessential Northwest Scandinavian like himself was picking up the language, Skoog replied, "The youth are already singing in it Š [as for me] not so good."

For more information, contact Beth Grossglass at 525-7473.