Boston Childrens Chorus Inc

BOSTON CHILDREN'S CHORUS HARNESSES THE POWER OF MUSIC TO CONNECT OUR CITY'S DIVERSE COMMUNITIES, CULTIVATE EMPATHY, AND INSPIRE SOCIAL INQUIRY.

IN OUR 19TH SEASON, THE SINGERS OF BOSTON CHILDREN'S CHORUS JOINED THEIR VOICES TO CALL AWARENESS TO THE CLIMATE EMERGENCY. MAJOR PERFORMANCES AND ARTISTIC PROJECTS HONORED THE SEASON THEME, NOW IS THE TIME, WHICH EXAMINED THE SYSTEMIC INEQUITIES THAT SO OFTEN CAUSE MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES TO SUFFER THE GREATEST AT THE HAND OF ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTERS. MAJOR MUSICAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE LISTED BELOW: WILD: A MUSICAL BECOMING WITH IDINA MENZEL BCC PARTNERED WITH THE AMERICAN REPERTORY THEATER (ART) AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY FOR THE CREATION AND PREMIERE OF A BRAND NEW MUSICAL, "WILD: A MUSICAL BECOMING." SINGERS JOINED A STAR- STUDDED CREATIVE TEAM, INCLUDING JUSTIN TRANTER (SONGWRITER TO DUA LIPA, ARIANA GRANDE AND LADY GAGA), V (FORMER EVE ENSLER, AUTHOR OF THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES), AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, DIANE PAULUS. ARNOLD ARBORETUM FILMING: MORE THAN 90 BOSTON CHILDREN'S CHORUS SINGERS GATHERED AT THE ARNOLD ARBORETUM OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY TO CREATE A VIDEO FOCUSED ON ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE. WE PARTNERED WITH OUR FRIENDS AT THE ARBORETUM TO SHARE A CRITICAL MESSAGE ABOUT PRESERVING THE ENVIRONMENT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. KNOWN AS THE MUSEUM OF TREES, THE LEVENTRITT SHRUB & VINE GARDEN WAS AN IDEAL BACKDROP TO FILM TWO ENVIRONMENTAL-THEMED MUSIC VIDEOS FEATURING OUR LOWER CHOIR SINGERS. RETURN TO THE STAGE: IN MARCH 2022, SINGERS RETURNED TO THE SYMPHONY HALL STAGE FOR BCC'S ANNUAL DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. TRIBUTE CONCERT. OVER BCC SINGERS WERE JOINED BY: GUEST CONDUCTOR ALYSIA LEE, A KENNEDY CENTER CITIZEN ARTIST AND FOUNDER AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF SISTER CITIES GIRLCHOIR, THE EL SISTEMA-INSPIRED, GIRL EMPOWERMENT CHORAL ACADEMY IN PHILADELPHIA, CAMDEN, AND BALTIMORE GUEST ARTISTS RENESE KING, A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED INSTRUMENTALIST, CHORAL DIRECTOR OF THE NEW ENGLAND GOSPEL ENSEMBLE, AND ARRANGER REVEREND WILLIAM BODRICK, SENIOR PASTOR OF THE HISTORIC TWELFTH BAPTIST CHURCH IN ROXBURY, MA. OPUS NUOVO COMMISSIONS: THE "OPUS NUOVO" INITIATIVE IS OUR INNOVATIVE RESPONSE TO BROADEN THE CHORAL REPERTOIRE FOR BOTH STUDENT AND PROFESSIONAL CHOIRS. THIS PAST SEASON, BCC ENGAGED TWO COMPOSERS TO WORK WITH OUR SINGERS TO FOCUS ON NEW WORKS FOCUSING ON ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, ALIGNING WITH OUR SEASON THEME. SYRIAN EDUCATOR AND COMPOSER SUAD BUSHNAQ WORKED WITH OUR LOWER CHOIR SINGERS TO CREATE A THREE-MOVEMENT "CLIMATE CANTATA," TELLING STORIES OF CLIMATE CHANGE THROUGH FAIRYTALE CHARACTERS AND STORIES. MEXICAN COMPOSER JORGE SOSA ENGAGED WITH OUR UPPER CHOIR SINGERS TO DEVELOP A NEW YOUTH OPERETTA - "THE RISING TIDE" - REFLECTING ON THE CLIMATE EMERGENCY THROUGH THE EYES OF YOUTH. IN ADDITION TO MAJOR PERFORMANCES, FILMING AND COMMISSIONS, BCC ALSO LAUNCHED COMMUNITY AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS WHICH ARE DETAILED BELOW: SUMMER WITH "WE SING": IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE FRIENDS OF THE PUBLIC GARDEN, BCC HOSTED FREE OUTDOOR COMMUNITY OPEN SINGING EVENTS EACH SATURDAY AND SUNDAY IN THE SUMMER OF 2021. AVAILABLE TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS OF ALL AGE AND SKILL LEVELS, THESE JOYFUL PROGRAMS PROVIDED FREE SUMMER ENRICHMENT AND SOCIAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHILDREN IN BIPOC NEIGHBORHOODS AND LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING A YEARLONG PERIOD OF ISOLATION AND DISTANCE FROM PEERS. EACH WEEKEND DAY, BCC SINGERS JOINED THEIR FAMILIES, ALUMNI, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS FOR A 75-MINUTE CELEBRATORY EVENT OF SINGING, GAMES, SOCIALIZING, AND COMMUNITY BUILDING. VACCINE CLINICS: BCC TEAMED UP WITH PARTNERS AT BOSTON MEDICAL CENTER TO HOST POP-UP VACCINE CENTERS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE HEALTH EQUITY MOVEMENT SPARKED BY THE COVID-19 CRISIS. THE EVENTS WERE HELD AT OUR MAIN OFFICE ON OLD COLONY AVENUE IN BOSTON AND WERE OPEN TO ALL SINGERS, THEIR FAMILIES, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC OVER THE AGE OF 5. IN SCHOOL PROGRAMMING: THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SURROUND CARE COALITION, UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF MOSSIK HACOBIAN AND THE HIGHER GROUND TEAM, BCC HAS BEEN FORTUNATE TO VISIT CLASSROOMS IN DORCHESTER ONCE WEEKLY FOR SEVEN WEEKS EACH SEMESTER TO PROVIDE MUSIC AND MOVEMENT CLASSES FOR YOUNG CHILDREN AGES 4-6. BCC CONDUCTORS ALSO LED POP-UP CHOIR PROGRAMS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN ROXBURY AND EAST BOSTON. IN ADDITION TO POP-UP CHOIR PROGRAMS, BCC'S IN- SCHOOL WORK SPANNED 28 SINGING WORKSHOPS WITH APPROXIMATELY 1042 SINGERS SERVED ACROSS SCHOOLS.