The season is ON!

SEASON IS OPEN! A sterling start to the season came on Sunday, November 4th at Jordan Hall as 6 of the 12 choirs turned out in force to give us rousing renditions of Old American Songs. Joining the singers on stage was the New England Patriots' safety Patrick Chung for his solo debut. Although highly accomplished on the field of play, Patrick also comes from a musical heritage, with his mother being a top Jamaican reggae artist in the 1980s. The Boatmen’s Dance was the song that provided his singing debut, and he dovetailed beautifully with the Young Men's Ensemble.

Jordan Hall was almost 2/3 full on this special Sunday - opening a milestone season. The set included:

Old American Songs Set 1 and 2 Aaron Copland Simple Gifts (Concert Choir) The Dodger (Premier Choir/Young Men’s Ensemble) The Golden Willow Tree (Central Intermediate Advanced) The Boatmen’s Dance (Young Men’s Ensemble) Long Time Ago (Premier Choir/Young Men’s Ensemble) I Bought Me A Cat (Intermediate Choir) At the River (Premier Choir/Young Men’s Ensemble) Ching-A-Ring Chaw (Premier Choir/Concert Choir) The Little Horses (Intermediate Choirs) Zion’s Walls (All Choirs)

The season-opener also featured the concert debut of "We Sing," the new BCC anthem to be performed by everyone at BCC concerts now. It is the birth of a new BCC tradition. The season rushes forward with the All-Choir Holiday concert- this time at a new venue - Cathedral of the Holy Cross in the South End. A hot, hot holiday ticket, this concert sells out fast. Tickets are on sale now so be sure to make your purchase early.

Seeing People's Faces When We Start Singing...

Marlene Cole, 17

4 Years in BCC, Marlene Cole looks ahead to the season opener with exuberant relish. "I'm not nervous about performing," she indicates as she is now a BCC veteran. Comfortable in her surroundings at BCC Central she proclaims herself a serious New England Patriots fan. "I'm excited to perform with Patrick Chung," she says while grinning from ear to ear.

But why is there no nervousness from this 17 year old Junior who will be performing in front of an audience of almost 1,000 people come November 4th? "Mister Trecek-King challenges you and makes you better, and I'm confident," Marlene tells us. "Seeing people's faces when we start singing makes it a great experience."

Old American Songs is a concert that will feature work from the likes of Copland but it's an Alice Parker number that is Marlene's favorite. "My favorite song is 'Hark, I hear'. I like it because it's different. It's folksy." Outside BCC, Marlene does not listen to a lot of classical music but can tell who is a good singer in the world of rock and pop. In preparing for concerts, she is kept busy with rehearsals and is constantly excited by reaching new people who may not have heard about BCC. "The best part is to excite multiple people who don't know about us.

The best thing about BCC? "The ability to express your voice. And the friendships."

BCC: A College Story by Jessica Newman

100% of BCC Alums go onto college or university making it clear that BCC has an influence on life direction. This is summed up by the writing below that was used in a college admission essay.

It was a January day, white and cold.  I hurried up the steps and opened the heavy, wooden doors, entering the warm glow of the Jordan Hall lobby.  It was crucial for this concert to be spectacular because it was going to be on live television stations across the country, but it wasn’t until I opened the doors that led into the intimate, dark-wooded hall at the New England Conservatory that I felt the real importance of our success.  Hanging above the stage, flooded with golden light, were six banners: one with Martin Luther King, Jr. smiling, his arm around his wife, and one with him marching in the pouring rain, a newspaper covering his head as he protested.  In another banner, he was waving from a balcony to a sea of people, and in the next one, he was marching again, a mile-long parade following his lead.  Two more banners were above these four: in one, he was in the middle of a speech with his fist pumped in protest, and finally, dead center was a beautiful portrait of the man with his eyes glittering, serious and determined – the eyes of a visionary.  I looked up at him and knew that this concert was not being performed for fame or recognition, but rather, for the man that made the Boston Children’s Chorus (BCC) possible.

I gained a greater appreciation for the dreamer

Every year, BCC holds an annual Martin Luther King, Jr. concert at the New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall to honor the man who changed the way Americans, and the world, look at race.  It is because of MLK that my chorus strives to break down barriers in the Greater Boston area and around the globe and unite people of all different backgrounds.  To be honest, before my time with the chorus, I knew Martin Luther King, Jr. was an inspiring man with a beautiful vision, but I never truly considered how his actions affected me.  After my first MLK concert in 2011, the first time I looked up at those banners, I gained a greater appreciation for the dreamer – I formed a connection with him, and I finally could see the impact his vision has made on my life.

            This day was life-changing.

Because I was new to the choir, it was the first time I truly made connections with my fellow singers, and it was the first time I could see the significance of King’s actions.  My best friends in the choir are black, Brazilian, white, Muslim, Asian, every race and ethnicity you can imagine, and without MLK and the Boston Children’s Chorus, my relationships with these amazing singers would not exist.  When I put on the performance uniform – a red jacket and black pants – I no longer see whether the person dressed like me is black or white; I see a person who has the same passion for singing that I do.  When I look out at my conductor, Anthony Trecek-King, I do not see an African-American man.  All I see is the embodiment of joy, exuberance, passion, and dedication.  

We can come together in the common language of music.

 

Singing popular songs like “Lean on Me” and “In the Name of Love,” spirituals like Moses Hogan’s “My Soul’s Been Anchored,” and gospel anthems like “On my Way” on that Monday in January, I finally understood why music is such an important part of my life: it unites people.  Even though every nation has a distinct language or a set of beliefs that may differ from mine, we can come together in the common language of music.  I thank the Boston Children’s Chorus and Martin Luther King, Jr. for showing me that human differences are something to be celebrated, not rejected.

That concert also showed me that the only thing I want to do in life is sing, for it not only brings me joy, but it also brings people together.  I want to continue the MLK and Boston Children’s Chorus legacy of uniting people from all walks of life, and I believe music is the way I can do that.  I thrive on these moments, like the annual MLK concert, when I know I am making others proud, when I can be selfish and selfless all at once.  I sing for myself, for the sense of accomplishment, for the challenge, but also for the chance to make others smile and honor those who have allowed me to live a better life.  The Boston Children’s Chorus has opened my eyes to the power of music, and I will try to use that power to continue bringing people together.

It has changed me on so many levels

Kobi Russell
Young Men's Ensemble

Hello, this is Kobi Russell, and I’m a proud singer of the Young Men’s Ensemble. I was recently promoted to this high level of singing expertise, which was a very exciting step up from an intermediate chorus. I have been in the BCC for 6 years this being my 7th and all throughout the experience it has made me a different person. It has been truly amazing.

"I am much more confident in things I do outside and inside of the BCC community"

 
It has changed me on so many levels. When I was a young singer I wouldn’t even open my mouth more than a half-centimeter wide! I would be looking around stage, not paying attention. Going through the process from training to intermediate, and then to advanced has brought out my voice both as a singer and as a leader. I am much more confident in things I do outside and inside of the BCC community.

"...a sense of confidence and sense of self..."

I have made new friends here at the Boston Children’s Chorus that I hope to keep for the rest of my life. The staff here, Mr. TK, Mrs. Adams, and all the other people that made this possible like Hubie Jones the founder and former president have inspired me to sing out literally and to sing out as a leader in my school and in other places.

This year I am trying to get on my Temple’s Youth Group’s board and be a leader there, and I want to organize a Winter Social at my school so that all the students can socialize and dance and hang out. Without some of the leadership skills and confidence that BCC has taught me, I probably never would have taken so much leadership and tried to make what I wanted possible. This is why I thank BCC for all it’s given me. A wonderful Tenor 1 voice, a sense of confidence and sense of self, and I am so grateful that my time in Young Men’s is just beginning and I am so excited to see what amazing opportunities it will bring.

Standing Together as Individuals but in Unison

BCC has hit a milestone of 10 years in educating Boston youths in musical excellence. Of course the story goes beyond music, and milestones are about stopping, reflecting, taking stock, and it's that process that fuels our future. A series of articles will tell to you the BCC Story from stakeholders who have had the BCC experience at their fingertips.