In Harmony!
2nd International Children’s Chorale Festival
July 26 – August 2, 2005
Aichi, Japan
The Boston Children’s Chorus was one of only four U.S. children’s choirs to be invited to perform at the second International Children’s Chorale Festival, which took place from July 26 through August 2, 2005 in conjunction with the Aichi World Exposition in the mountainous Seto City region. Called “In Harmony!” the festival’s purpose was to bring together children from the United States and Japan who have a true love for singing, giving them the chance to demonstrate their potential and form international friendships.
For the BCC, this extraordinary opportunity took our mission into the global arena. Committed to the community-building power of children singing, we have spent the last year bringing Boston-area families and children together across racial, ethnic, religious and economic differences to experience the transformative power of music, and share that power with diverse audiences. Through our Japan Tour, our young singers stretched that potential in two ways:
- by singing to an international audience, including people from more than 130 nations and organizations, gathered for the Aichi World Exposition; and
- by learning about a new culture through living in Japanese homes, forming friendships across global boundaries, and participating in a specially-designed pre-tour educational program.
During this world's fair [Aichi World Exposition], peoples of all nations of the world joined together with the goal of creating a model 21st century society with its own new culture and civilization. Over 130 nations and international organizations came together to Aichi World Exposition to surmount national and cultural differences to join together in a peaceful global exchange.
Participating Choirs
Four American children’s choirs: Chicago Children’s Choir, San Francisco Boy’s Choir, Colorado Springs Children’s Chorale and Boston Children’s Chorus; and four Japanese children’s choirs.
The true purpose of the 2nd International Children's Chorale Festival was to bring together from the United States and Japan children who have a true love for singing and to allow them to fully demonstrate their potential while at the same time giving them the opportunity to establish international friendships.
Accommodations
The main feature of the Festival was the homestay experience. During the Festival, families in the area volunteered as host families. As a rule, each family hosted two participants who they welcomed into their home as memebers of the family. Through the homestay program, children were able to truly experience and share each others' lives and culture, and to fully appreciate and understand each other.
Click here to read about the Children's chorus learning the customs of Japan. Article by the Boston Globe.
Click here to see pictures of the trip.