Dear BCC Community,
Greetings from 20 Old Colony! I have completed my transition out of Washington, D.C. and arrived in Boston on a cool and rainy, partly sunny and partly grey Thursday. I am eager to meet each and every one of you. While the pandemic may impede our meeting in person, I am looking forward to engaging with you virtually in the coming weeks and months.
I mentioned the weather on the day of my arrival because it perfectly encapsulates the mix of emotions I am experiencing. While I am bursting with excitement at the start of my journey with this amazing community, I carry with me a sense of somber reflection regarding the events that have taken place in Kenosha, WI in the past week, and the awakening our country has experienced in the last few months.
In just the short time I have spent as a member of this community, it has become clear to me that the future of our country and the world will be in excellent hands. After my conversations with alumni and current singers, I truly cannot wait to see the transformational work that younger generations will do for our society. Yet, the optimism they have allowed me to feel does not blind me to the challenges that lie ahead. In my hopefulness, I am making space for introspection. The effects of the shooting of Jacob Blake, as well as the murders of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and countless others, have taken a toll on me in ways that are difficult to describe. I imagine the same will be true for many of you.
It is my deeply felt hope that you will continue to care for yourself and for your families; that you are able to seek refuge in community with loved ones; and that not a single one of us succumbs to despair.
On one of my last days in Washington, D.C., I visited the Tidal Basin, wherein lives the monument to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. On its side, sculptor Lei Yixin carved a quote from Dr. King’s most famous address, given on this day in 1963: “Out of a mountain of despair, a stone of hope.” In this moment of incredible grief, loss, turmoil, and pain, Boston Children’s Chorus is that stone of hope for me. I hope it will continue to be a stone of hope for you.
Sincerely,
Andrés Holder
Executive Director
