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SUMMER CAMP FOR YOUNG SINGERS 2006:
Capping a week-long program of voice and
movement classes, rehearsals, Kodaly music theory,
African drumming -- even a trip to Franklin Park Zoo
-- young singers in the BCC’s Summer Camp proudly
demonstrated their newly-acquired music skills in a
concert on August 18 at Roxbury Community College.
The Camp, designed to orient newly-accepted singers
into BCC’s musical education program, gave children
the opportunity to shine – and make new friends --
while demonstrating all they had learned in the five
day program. Parents beamed as the children sang
five songs, each representing a different culture or
place. Glimpsing fifty-five smiling young faces, one
could see how their accomplishments in the Camp
had inspired these children to imagine all they are
capable of as they embark on their first performance
season and the rest of their lives.
BLOOMING ART SHOWCASE 2006: The BCC
sang at the September 30 Blooming Art event
designed to showcase and champion arts programs
for local youth. Blooming Art is part of the Hunt
Alternative Fund's ARTWorks for Kids. Exhibits
and live performances by young artists inspired
donors to support the organizations serving these
talented young people. The Hunt Alternatives Fund
believes, as we do, that the arts can be life-changing
for kids, and arts organizations working with children
and youth need more support. Evidence consistently
demonstrates that a high level of arts involvement
narrows the achievement gap between students from
low and high socioeconomic backgrounds. Want
to support the Boston Children's Chorus? We need
you! Contact
Lynn Gilman Williams at 617/ 778-2242 x230 for
more information on how you can help.
BOSTON LYRIC OPERA EVENTS: The BCC, in
partnership with the Boston Lyric Opera,
hosted a “Residency Talks” event on September 14th
at Tremont Temple. This interactive program provided
an opportunity for our singers and their families to
meet and hear the stories of nationally and
internationally recognized opera singers from different
backgrounds. With over thirty BCC singers and their
families in attendance, the artists shared their paths
to a career in opera and imparted their wisdom to a
fully attentive audience. As a special treat, all of the
opera singers performed songs known as arias to the
delight of our young singers. At the end of the
evening, BCC singers and families were invited to
ask questions, which included topics such as, “How
do you sing so loudly?” Three themes emerged from
the event that evening: the importance of hard work,
teamwork and passion for music. As an added bonus,
all participants in the “Residency Talks” were invited
to attend a gala concert at the Wang Center the
following evening. What a wonderful treat for all
who attended – singers and families alike! Special
thanks to our new friends at the Boston Lyric Opera
for sharing these events with us. We look forward to
working together again soon. Contributed by
David Howse, Director of Programs and Community
Impact.
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UNO’s “DOUGH RAI$ER” FOR BCC ON NOV. 8:
Mark your calendar, spread the word, and plan to
dine-in or take-out at Boston’s UNO
locations on Boylston Street or Huntington Avenue
on
Wednesday, November 8 and help “raise
dough” for the BCC! On November 8, UNO’s will donate
20% of proceeds from the Boylston Street and
Huntington Avenue restaurants to the BCC, take-out
and bar area included! Tell your friends, family
members and co-workers! Ask your workplace – and
whole company – to order lunch from UNO’s on
November 8! Additional details -- including a special
Dough Rai$er coupon -- will follow in special e-blast
announcements over the next several weeks.
Contributed by Jan Woiler Meuse, Foundation
Relations and Marketing Manager
INTERNATIONAL MUSIC COMPETITION:
Hats off to Anthony Trecek-King, BCC's Artistic Director, as he travels to Stockholm and Uppsala, Sweden later this month to participate in an international competition for the prestigious Eric Ericson Award for young choir conductors. He is one of 16 finalists selected from an international pool of 55 top young choir conductors. Good luck or, as they say in Sweden “ha det god”! BCC TO SING AT TELEVISED HOLIDAY TREE
LIGHTING: Tune in to WCVB-TV Channel 5’s
City of Boston
Holiday Tree Lighting program on November 30 for
holiday cheer, courtesy of the BCC. Check your TV
listings – or the BCC website -- for the tree
lighting schedule.
SEEKING MLK WEEKEND HOST FAMILIES:
We are looking for families to host singers from
the Chicago Children’s Choir or Young People’s
Chorus of NYC over the Martin Luther King weekend!
Host families agree to pick up these young singers
in Boston and share the comforts of their home for
two or three evenings (depending on the choir). The
singers will arrive in Boston on Saturday, January
13th and depart the morning of Tuesday, January
16th. If you are unable to participate as a host
family this year, we welcome your suggestions for
other potential host families.
Email or call Corey Smentek at 617-778-2242
ext.
225 for more information!
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BCC LAUNCHES FIRST CD RECORDING,
SING!
This inspiring CD highlights the first three years of
the BCC, with voices from our Concert, Lyric, Treble
and Neighborhood Choirs, and includes our first-ever
commissioned piece, Trilogy of Dreams by
Rollo
A.
Dilworth. SING! takes the listener on
a musical
journey with songs in Latin and Hebrew, a Japanese
lullaby, African-American spirituals, gospel songs
and American anthems. Be inspired by the power of
children from diverse backgrounds united in song.
This CD is a perfect gift for friends, relatives and
customers, and is priced at $20 Click
here to listen to and purchase SING!
BCC SINGER IS CHOSEN AS WINNING ARTIST:
Three cheers for singer and third-grader Casandra
Joseph, of our Neighborhood Choir at Dorchester
House 2, whose artwork was selected for its
“exceptional thoughtfulness and creativity” from
more than 1,600 entries as one of this year’s
winners of the Boston Public Library / Boston
Schools Collaborative Creative Writing and Design
Contest. Click here to see
Casandra’s artwork. which
can be found in The Boston Public Library &
Foundation's 2006 book, A Symphony for Our
City,
and on a Boston-area billboard near you.
AMANI CELEBRATION HOLIDAY CD:
The Amani CD 2006 features the Boston Children's
Chorus and other choirs from around the U.S.,
Toronto, and Kenya, with an introduction
from renowned American poet, Maya Angelou. The
Amani Foundation provides a bridge of partnership
and exchange between America and Africa to care
for
orphaned and abandoned children in Africa. “Amani”
means “peace” in Swahili. Click
here for more information.
WBZ NEWS RADIO FEATURES BCC: Our new
CD SING! made the October 13-15
news on WBZ radio, 1030AM. Reporter Mark Katic
interviewed several Concert Choir singers and
attended rehearsal as a special treat. Click here to listen to the broadcast.
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Dear Families,
The BCC is off to a busy start already! The CD release party was a wonderful way to welcome Anthony Trecek-King and a fantastic celebration of the talents and skills of all our singers! Rehearsals are going strong and we have scheduled the fall potluck meals for singers and families from each chorus so PLEASE be sure to join us for good food and fun together. At the potluck dinners we will suggest various ways that you can join in the work of the Parent Association this year. Here are just a few examples of how you can support the BCC:
Take care, Marcie and Dawn |
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Perhaps the best way to describe the Treble Choir is
to relate Anthony Trecek-King’s praise for the group.
At a recent staff meeting, our new Artistic Director
gave a spirited report indicating his delight in
observing that the BCC’s Treble Choir -- our beginner
level program -- is an extremely musical group.
After receiving an elementary sightsinging lesson at
rehearsal, singers in the Treble Choir were handed a
musical score to review. As Anthony requested a
volunteer to
demonstrate sightsinging of the score, several hands
immediately went up, including Christina Yee, age 7,
perhaps
the youngest member of the Treble Choir. She stood
to sing what she had learned, and did so very
accurately! One child after another raised his/her
hand, eager to demonstrate a newly-learned ability
to sightsing the score. With the Treble Choir “on a
roll,” the next step was teaching some German words
needed for a piece the Choir is rehearsing. Once
again, the singers quickly absorbed the new language
and, with a flourish, incorporated the words into their
repertoire. Great job, Treble Choir. Keep up the
fabulous work!
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OUR APPLAUSE GOES TO:
The Massachusetts Cultural Council. We are
very proud to announce that the BCC recently
received an organizational support grant from the
Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC). These state
grants are awarded through a competitive process. A
national review panel rates each applicant on the
quality of its programs, extent of community service
and administrative ability. The BCC was
awarded a grant of $11,200 a year for three years.
Some accolades from the review panel:
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phone:
617/ 778-2242
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