Boston Children's Chorus

Holiday Performances!

2009-12-10T18:06:00.000-08:00

On December 5th, BCC gave two concerts back to back at Faneuil Hall to celebrate the Holiday season. It was a long day for BCC singers, but fun was had by all at every step of the way and everyone worked together to give a stellar performance.

It's December and Caroling Season is officially underway! After the Faneuil Hall Concerts on the 5th, PC performed at the Prudential Center for an enthusiastic audience of mall-shoppers. PC singers invited young audience members to join us on stage for the final number, "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" which was enjoyable for all.

On Wednesday the 3rd, Concert Choir gave a wonderful holiday concert at the Museum of Fine Arts. CC was able to perform holiday carols as well as some songs from their regular repetoire, which was a great opportunity for them to showcase the great work they've done this season. Audience members of all ages enjoyed their selections and joined in singing Happy Birthday to CC member, Nicholas, during the concert. Happy Birthday Nicholas!

On Black Friday, intermediate choir singers took a break from their power-shopping to perform at the Macy's window unveiling and tree lighting. This was a great start to the holiday season for all involved! Kermit the Frog hosted the event and led the audience in a "Jingle Bells" sing-a-long, prompted by BCC, and following BCC's performance, Disney Channel stars Tiffany Thorton and Mitchell Musso performed, much to the delight of the intermediate singers.

How To: Purchase Our CD

2009-11-23T16:41:00.000-08:00

Are you looking to purchase a copy of our newest CD? We thought so! "This is the Sound of Harmony" is available online through Digistation. The CD will also be available on iTunes soon and can be purchased at BCC Central for $15.

CDs make a great gift! Buy one today!

Visiting Composer: Eric Banks

2009-11-23T16:28:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, November 19th, Eric Banks visited Premier Choir rehearsal. Last spring, BCC commissioned Eric to write a piece that would further our connection with Arabic Music. Eric created "A New Alphabet" a song that combines text in Arabic and English, in which all of the letters of the Arabic alphabet are used. "A New Alphabet" is a challenging piece and working with Eric gave us great insight into his thought process and helped us take the piece to a new level of understanding. Look forward to our December Newsletter for more information on our collaboration with Eric Banks!

Mass Advocates for Children 40th Anniversary Celebration and WGBH Open House!

2009-11-23T15:57:00.001-08:00

On November 13th, Premier and Young Men's Ensemble performed for the Massachusetts Advocates for Children 40th Anniversary Celebration. During its forty-year history, MAC has been at the forefront of statewide advocacy efforts to protect and expand the rights of children in urban education reform, special education, and other critical areas. MAC’s constituency has always been those children who face the greatest barriers to educational success, due to disability, race/ethnicity, language and/or poverty. After an introduction from our own Hubie Jones, PC sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" while a slide-show honoring the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy, a showtunes fan, was projected behind the choir. BCC was glad to be apart of honoring Senator Kennedy's legacy and extraordinary legislative successes on behalf of children, education, and people with disabilities.

On November 17th, PC performed at WGBH's Member Open House where WGBH members enjoyed tours of WGBH's state-of-the-art TV and radio studios, and got the behind-the-scenes details on the creative process at WGBH. Premier Choir gave a performance every half an hour for the duration of the event making it possible for us to reach over a hundred people over the course of then night. Singing in the Fraser Performance Center brought back memories of the wonderful recording sessions we did at WGBH for our new CD, "This is the Sound of Harmony" copies of which were sold at the event. Between performances, we had the special chance to meet and catch up with our pals Curious George and Rough Ruffman, from Fetch with Ruff Ruffman. Fun was had by all!

Happy Halloween from BCC!

2009-11-23T15:51:00.000-08:00

Much to the singers of Dorchester House Intermediate's amusement, Ms. Adams and Mr. Reynolds did a little switcheroo for their Halloween costumes.

CD Release! Documentary Preview! Fall Concert!

2009-11-09T19:45:00.000-08:00

Last week was a BIG ONE for BCC. How many choirs can say they released a CD, held a documentary screening, and hosted a self-produced concert featuring over 400 kids, many of whom were on-stage for the very first time, in one week? Well... the Boston Children's Chorus can!

Our newest, soon-to-be-on-iTunes CD, titled "This is the Sound of Harmony" was released this past Thursday, and already, hundreds of copies have been sold and it is receiving rave reviews. The CD features songs of a variety of styles from the past three years, and accurately captures the amount of growth that BCC has experienced in so little time.

Additionally, members of the BCC community and the Boston community at large gathered in the Boston Public Libary's Rabb Hall to view a preview for Olivia Spaletta's documentary on our tour to Jordan this past summer. Watching the preview brought back great memories for singers and staff alike, and very accurately depicted the experiences and emotions of traveling to Jordan.

On Saturday, November 7th, BCC's first self-produced concert of the year, featuring all nine choirs of the Boston Children's Chorus, titled "A La Carte" was held at Tremont Temple. The concert was a tremendous success on all levels. For many BCC singers, it was their first time performing with the chorus and all singers really rose to the occasion. Managing 400 singers of course creates some logistical challenges, but thanks to wonderful planning and the help of City Year volunteers, the day ran very smoothly.

Finally, on November 8th, singers from Premier Choir had the joy of performing at Pine Street Inn's "Knit-A-Thon" where committed volunteers were able to create over 40 blankets for Pine Street's Supportive Housing Program.

October Performances

2009-11-09T16:46:00.000-08:00

October was a busy month for BCC! In addition to performing at Blooming Arts, the Samaritan's 5k, and Fenway Alliance's "Opening Our Doors Day", BCC gave another four performances and hosted singers from the American Boy Choir, held three retreats, a leadership training session, and a parent's meeting! Whew!

On October 10th, PC performed at the American Academy of Arts and Science's Induction Ceremony. The event was in Sanders Theater, which is always a wonderful space to sing in -- the acoustics are incredible. Notable speakers at the event were Emmylou Harris and James Earl Jones. We hope they enjoyed our singing!

On October 23rd, PC performed for the opening event of the first annual Boston Book Festival! This event, at Trinity Church, was especially enjoyable for PC singers because instead of waiting backstage, PC was seated on-stage for the duration of the event allowing singers see the others special guests (Livingston Taylor, Benjamin Zander and Richard Russo) do their thing. PC's performance inspired our new friend, Livingston Taylor, to remark, "I'm on to you guys like cheap whiskey!". We had a great time.

October 28th was a double performance day for BCC. Villa Victoria Training Choir gave a wonderful performance at Boston City Mission Society's first Community Appreciation Night. The CMS, an urban social justice agency, is the oldest multi-service agency in New England, and strives to unite and strengthen the community by focusing on homelessness prevention, youth peace promotion, and faith and community. Additionally, at almost exactly the same time, Premier Choir performed for arguably the most well-known African-American rabbi in the U.S., Rabbi Capers C. Funnye, and the Synagogue Council of Massachusetts. What an exciting day!

Villa Victoria Performs at Fenway Alliance's Opening Our Doors Day!

2009-11-07T17:23:00.000-08:00

On Columbus Day, Villa Victoria singers met at the Christian Science Plaza to perform at Fenway Alliance's Kick Off Event for their annual "Opening Our Doors Day". The Fenway Alliance is a group that aims to promote the arts in the Fenway area and foster collaboration between arts organizations and the community. VV's performance at this event was one of BCC's first performances of the year! All singers, new and old, did their part to give a great performance.

Premier Choir co-President Casey Accardi was recently featured in an article in "Teen Life."

2009-10-23T11:38:00.000-07:00

Premier Choir co-President Casey Accardi was recently featured in an article in "Teen Life." Accardi, who has been with BCC for 5 years and is a volunteer with the Teen Life organization, which helps build self-esteem and confidence among teen girls. To read the full article, click here

Training Chorus Retreats

2009-10-13T11:36:00.001-07:00

Saturday, October 10 was retreat day for the Training Choirs at BCC Central. Ms. Idichera worked with West End House and Central Training first. Singers focused on polishing music for the November 7 season opening concert and started on holiday music for the December 5th concert. Students had time to socialize over snacks that everyone brought to share. Singers also interviewed one another and asked each other what their favorite song to sing or listen to and what their goal for the year is.

The hand of the last person singers interviewed was traced on a poster signifying that all the singers were united to help each other be successful this year.

Dorchester House Training and Villa Victoria also met in the afternoon for their retreat. Ms. Adams also prepared November 7 and December 5 music. Thanks to all the singers and families that brought in snacks and helped throughout the day.

PC Performance at Samaritans 5K and YME Retreat/Performance at Blooming Arts!

2009-10-05T18:35:00.000-07:00

Saturday, October 3rd was a big day for BCC! It started bright and early for Young Men's Ensemble with an all day retreat beginning at 9 am. However, not so long after, Premier Choir gathered at Artesani Park in Brighton to perform at Samaritan's "Run for Someoone Else's Life" 5K and Family Fun Festival. A non-profit organization, Samaritans is dedicated to reducing the incidence of suicide by befriending individuals in crisis and educating the community about effective prevention strategies. Through fundraisers like the 5K, Samaritans can make a greater impact on the lives of others. Premier sang as part of the awards ceremony in which race winners in seven categories were awarded medals. BCC was glad to be there to enhance the power of the event. Additionally, Wally the Green Monster was in attendance, and Ben Hires was lucky enough to grab a snapshot with him!

Later in the day, Young Men's traveled from BCC Central, to the Home of Cambridge resident, Swanee Hunt, to perform at Blooming Arts, a fundraiser focused on organizations working to provide youth with meaningful education in the arts. When asked about his day, Young Men's President, Grant Jones said, "Today is a great day for Young Mens. We were able to make significant progress on our new music, got to know each other better through retreat, and gave, in my opinion, a highly engaging and crowd pleasing performance at Blooming Arts. Overall, this is a great start to the season for us!"

PC Performance at Villa Victoria!

2009-10-05T18:26:00.001-07:00

On Sunday, September 27th, Premier Choir gave their very first performance of the year at Villa Victoria. Villa Victoria Center for the Arts presents dynamic cross cultural collaborations in order to promote, preserve, and celebrate Latino culture. BCC performed as a part of their Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration. This was a wonderful opportunity for BCC because although one of BCC's training choirs rehearses weekly at Villa Victoria, this was the first time a BCC choir had the chance to perform at a mainstage Villa Victoria event. Premier choir sang some old favorites and new soon-to-be favorites; new singers to PC did a great job in performing music they'd just learned like pros. After singing, some singers were able to stick around to hear the special guests of the event, Puerto Rican Choir, Camerata Coral, sing beautiful music with Latino roots. Overall, it was a great start to the season!

'09-'10 Season Underway!

2009-09-20T10:03:00.001-07:00

This weekend marked the end of the second week of rehearsals for BCC's 7th season. With over 400 singers now involved in BCC, there were plenty of new faces in rehearsals. Singers have already begun getting to know each other and making new friends. All choirs are off to a great start! Numbers are up across the board, especially in Young Men's Ensemble which has over 35 singers this season!

Below is a snapshot of (some of) this year's Concert Choir. The group is so large that they didn't all fit in a picture at once!

Jordan Tour: Days Nine and Ten!

2009-07-10T06:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we left the dead sea resort quite early and took a three hour bus ride to Aqaba, the most metropolitan area we've seen outside of Amman. We spent the whole day swimming, snorkeling in the coral reefs, and relaxing on the beach. Much fun was had by all! Follow our outing, we checked in to the Petra Marriott hotel, just in time to see the beautiful sunset. Singers enjoyed posing for photos before heading for a traditional Jordanian buffet. After dinner, we had an early lights out which was ideal as everyone needed to store up energy for Petra.

Following a good night's sleep, we boarded the buses and drove over to Petra, where we spent the whole day. Petra was BEAUTIFUL. Being one of the seven wonders of the world, we had high expectations, but Petra still went above and beyond them. It was absolutely incredible to envision the city that was there so many years ago. Although it was 105 degrees out, singers barely noticed the heat as we were very well hydrated and so in awe of our surroundings. Following our adventure, we headed back to the hotel where some chose to take a swim, and then headed out to a real Bedouin camp for a Bedouin style dinner.

Jordan Tour: Day Eight!

2009-07-08T14:51:00.001-07:00

Today was our day of rest and relaxation at the Marriot Dead Sea Resort and Spa... its was WONDERFUL. Everyone was able to chill out and get some sun, not to mention swim in the dead sea! Singers took advantage of the Dead Sea mud to exfoliate their skin and enjoyed taking a dip in the Marriot's beautiful pools. It is safe to say that everyone had a glorious time... I think that just about any of us would be willing to move to Jordan at this point! We enjoyed having great meals at restaurants in the hotel and also had the treat of working with the conductor of Jordan's National Conservatory for music who taught us a lot about the difference between our major and minor scales and the scales used in Jordan. Overall, we had an incredible day.

Jordan Tour: Days Six and Seven!

2009-07-07T15:41:00.000-07:00

Sorry for this late update, we were at the King's Academy yesterday and internet access was a challenge.

Yesterday we checked out of the Amman Marriot hotel and headed to the King's Academy for a full day of fun. Upon arrival, we were greeted warmly by student counselors from the King's Academy Summer Enrichment Program (SEP). SEP brings under-privileged and over-achieving 6th, 7th, and 8th graders from throughout Jordan to the King's Academy for a two week summer program designed to allow these students to further their knowledge to an extent further than possible at their regular schools. The program combines academic and extra-curricular classes, allowing the students to have a good time while cultivating a love of learning.

After a tour of the King's Academy's stunning campus, we had the joy of eating lunch in small groups with kids from SEP who were all incredibly kind and friendly. Everyone really enjoyed getting to know the SEP kids and learning about their culture. After lunch and a meeting in the auditorium, BCC and SEP students were broken into small groups and assigned topics to discuss and create a presentation about. After nearly an hour of conversation and preparation, 12 wonderful presentations were made discussing the similarities and differences in American and Jordanian culture, which was eye opening for all involved.

Following break time and a wonderful dinner, BCC gathered for a much needed reflection on the trip thus far. From the comments made by nearly the entire choir and staff, its clear that everyone is having a enjoyable and life-changing experience here. Its been incredible for us to see what is really going on in the middle east and singers are eager to share their new found understanding.

Today we woke up bright and early for a tasty breakfast (King's Academy food is WAY better than regular food) and then headed over to the auditorium to perform for the King's Academy graduation recital for the 8th graders. The performance was one of our best so far. The audience was really enthusiastic and very into some of our music, especially the song "Zikr", an Islamic celebration song. After an outpouring of audience members exclaiming, "again!", YME actually reprised the song, which they found exciting and uplifting.

After performing, we said goodbye to our King's Academy friends and headed to Kerak to sight-see. Wandering through the fort at Kerak was really cool, it is really well preserved and their is historical reasoning behind the design, which was interesting for us to learn about.

Following our explorations, we enjoyed a buffet lunch in Kerak and then headed to the Al Hussein Cultural Center to rehearse and perform for the Jordan Festival. This concert, which was our final definite one for this tour, was a tremendous experience. We've never had such an enthusiastic and vocal audience; the applause and cheering after each song was overwhelmingly strong. Singers truly had a great time.

After the concert, we headed to dinner and then boarded the bus for a two-hour ride to the Marriot Dead Sea Resort and Spa, which is where we are now. Everyone is settled into their rooms and we're looking forward to getting a good night's sleep for our day of relaxation by the Dead Sea tomorrow.

Jordan Tour: Day Five!

2009-07-05T14:36:00.000-07:00

Today was yet another jam-packed day! We left at 9:30 to head to Jerash, the most well preserved Roman ruins outside of Rome. The sights were absolutely incredible. We had the opportunity to sing in the Roman amphitheater where the acoustics were out of this world. Afterwards, many singers climbed to the top of the amphitheater and took in the view, which was outstanding.

After Jerash, we went out for lunch at yet another wonderful Jordanian BBQ restaurant and then headed to Zarqa Cultural Center, our performance space for the evening. After a little R&R (rehearsing and relaxation) we gave a great performance at 7pm for a considerable audience of enthusiastic members, during which we sang for over an hour and a half. It was really fun to sing a long set, we had the opportunity to perform songs we hadn't sung in a while.

Post-concert, we headed out for Mexican food which really hit the spot for most of the group. With being in a foreign country, the risk of dehydration and illness increases, and although we've had a few sick singers, for the most part, we're doing really well.

Tonight we've all got a lot of packing to do as we're headed to the King's Academy tomorrow for an overnight. We're all really excited to get to know the students there. Check back for updates soon!

Jordan Tour: Day Four!

2009-07-04T14:07:00.000-07:00

Happy Fourth of July! This morning we visited Madaba, home of Mt. Nebo and a whole bunch of amazing mosaics. The view from the top of Mt. Nebo was incredible, we could see the west bank which was pretty cool. We also learned a lot about the religious significance of the location and visited the Mt. Nebo museum which contained many interesting artifacts.

After Mt. Nebo, we visited a workshop where people were hand-crafting mosaics. We got to see them up close at work and were amazed by the detail of their creations. We then checked out their store where many singers picked up awesome souvenirs and had a great time looking around and taking touristy photos.

Before proceeding to lunch, we stopped at a beautiful mosaic church, where we discovered the acoustics were incredible... yeah we squeezed a little singing in. We then enjoyed a wonderful lunch at Haret Jdoudna where we were served a traditional Jordanian BBQ. We were seated outdoors and the weather was sunny and wonderful.

After lunch we headed to the US Embassy where we performed for their 4th of July festivities. The US Embassy was cute... it was like a little piece of the USA nestled inside Jordan. Unfortunately there are no photos as we weren't allowed to bring cameras however be assured that the event Embassy was beautiful and we had a great time being there.

After a hour of shopping at City Mall, we headed back to the hotel where some singers had the joy of participating in an arabic choral singing workshop with the conductor of Dozan Wa Atwar, a local choral group. Singers enjoyed the experience immensely and learned a lot about combining rote and sheet music based learning methods for the best possible outcome.

Around 8:15, we headed out to dinner at Chinese WOX, a local restaurant. The food was great and spirits were high as we reflected on the great trip we've been having so far.

Where we are now!

2009-07-03T15:48:00.000-07:00

Follow our whereabouts on Google Maps.

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Jordan Tour: Day Three!

2009-07-03T14:20:00.001-07:00

Today was a jam-packed day! After breakfast and money exchange, we headed out to do some major sight-seeing. Visiting the crusader forts and desert castles was absolutely incredible. It's one thing to see and hear about ancient ruins, but to actually visit them in person was a moment to last a lifetime.

We took a little detour on our way to lunch... Note the sign in the upper left corner.

We weren't sure which way to go... we headed towards Iraq.

After sight-seeing, we headed to Kan Zaman for a Jordanian BBQ lunch and then visited adjoining flea market, Souk Jara. Singers enjoyed lunch and many invested in great souvenirs.

After returning to the hotel for a little bit of unscheduled rest and relaxation, we checked out another local flea market before enjoying a splendid dinner at books@cafe. Post dining on great pizza and pasta, we celebrated the birthdays of YME singer, Cautchy, and our fabulous teaching fellow. Happy Birthday Guys!

It's awfully late so this post will be kept short, but check back tomorrow for more updates!

Jordan Tour: Day Two!

2009-07-02T13:13:00.000-07:00

Today we woke up bright and early for our first tour performance! After enjoying Marriot Amman's continental breakfast (where we noted a spiffy article on us in the Jordan Times), we boarded the buses and headed to the Queen Al Sharaf Institute for Development (ZENID), Jordan's leading national institute dedicated to promoting learning for social development.

Upon arrival at ZENID, we performed for a large audience of students of the ZENID program who were similar in age to us. The audience expressed feeling truly touched by our performance, which is always rewarding to hear. After performing, we had the opportunity to meet and greet the students, and some of them even graced us with a performance of original raps which resulted in a brief and somewhat wild (BCC style wild... don't worry) dance party.

After ZENID, we boarded the buses for a brief tour of Amman, and then arrived at the Amman Children's Museum, which would be our performance venue for the evening. It was at about this time that the jet-lag started to hit some singers pretty hard, but we all supported each other and took the afternoon easy.

Our evening performance went wonderfully. Although it was outdoors, for the most part we were just fine in terms of temperature. As you probably know, the temperatures are pretty high here in Jordan, however we've noted that its a dry heat and thus most have been content temperature wise. We'll see what tomorrow will bring as we're spending a lot of time outdoors, but we aren't too concerned. We've also been rockin' our snazzy red Converse shoes, compliments of Converse Inc., our official footwear sponsor.

After our performance, we headed to Tawahin Al Hawa for a traditional Jordanian BBQ. We enjoyed trying new foods, bonding with each other, and reflecting on tour thus far. Everyone is having a great time, and we're so excited to see what this trip will bring. Check back tomorrow for another update!

BCC Arrives in Jordan!

2009-07-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

We've arrived in Jordan! It's really exciting to finally be here. Right now it's almost 11:00pm Jordan time and we're all winding down to go to bed. Yesterday we met at BCC central for a 2pm departure by bus to head to New York. After loading all of our luggage onto the bus and saying farewells to our parents, we left approximately on-time, which is a feat for this group!

Our bus ride was fairly uneventful. Because we're such a large group, we had to split up into two buses. Upon arrival at JFK, we checked in and got dinner before boarding our flight at 9:45. Our flight from JFK to Amman Airport in Jordan was eleven hours... eleven hours is a LONG TIME! Thankfully though, many of us were able to get some sleep and we all entertained each other pretty well.

It was quite odd to arrive in Jordan after traveling nineteen hours and have it be 5 in the afternoon. We lost a whole day in there somewhere... so strange. But provided we sleep well tonight, we will have adjusted to Jordan time fairly easily. To most of us, it felt like 5pm when we landed, which is great!

Clearing customs was surprisingly easy. Probably because we're a large group, the airport staff was lenient and accommodating in terms of working with us... they collected our passports and returned them swiftly, avoiding individual processing for each person. Also, our checked luggage was transported directly from the plane to our hotel rooms with minimal help from us. Overall, we're pretty well taken care of!

Once we arrived at the Amman Marriot Hotel, we gathered with our roommates, got situated in our rooms, ate a quick dinner, and then settled in for a much needed rehearsal. Although most of us were pretty tired, it felt great to get together with the whole group and sing.

Right now we're getting ready for bed. We hope to sleep a full night so that we're feeling good for tomorrow as we have a jam-packed day that's sure to be awesome! We're trying hard to keep healthy and hydrated which is made easier by Pepsi, our official drink sponsor for this tour. Check out the picture below of singers showing off the new polos we received from Pepsi. How cute, thanks Pepsi!

Check back soon for more updates!

Deval Patrick joins BCC for a Jordan Send-Off!

2009-06-25T20:19:00.002-07:00

On June 25th, PC and YME singers were invited by Deval Patrick to the State House for a Jordan Send-Off photo and farewell!

Prior to Deval's arrival, many singer's representatives visited and all extended words of interest and encouragement towards us. We were mid-rehearsal when Mr. Patrick arrived and he encouraged us to keep singing! Our performances of "We Are Together", "Shosholoza" and "Make Them Hear You" were met with enthusiastic applause. After posing with us for a few photos, Mr. Patrick wished us a great trip, said he is looking forward to hearing all about it, and invited us to come back to the State House anytime!

Mary Ann's Farewell Gathering!

2009-06-16T20:45:00.000-07:00

On June 16th, Young Men's Ensemble and assorted staff and friends of BCC gathered at BCC central to bid a fond farewell to Mary Ann Brennan Newcomb, BCC's Director of Development, who will be moving on next season. Mary Ann is always appreciated for her warm sunny presence in the office and great advice. She's always there to provide a good pep-talk and confidence boost! She will be very missed next season. In recognition of Mary Ann's can-do attitude and the hard work she has done for BCC, Young Men's Ensemble animatedly sang a lively arrangement of "Workin' on the Railroad".

PC and YME prepare for Jordan Tour!

2009-06-14T15:29:00.000-07:00

On June 14th, Premier Choir and Young Men's Ensemble gathered at Mount Ida College to perform at the Center for Arab Culture's (CAC) Graduation Ceremony. Not only was this a performance, but it was also an opportunity for singers to mingle with people from the center and try some Arab foods. Many different (and tasty) foods were tried, and a fun time was had by all! BCC has really appreciated the warmness and helpfulness of the CAC as they've been a great help in preparing BCC to tour to Jordan. As you can see, singers also wore their new tour uniform shirts for the first time, which will be worn for formal performances in Jordan. Check back soon to hear more about tour preparations!