Honoring Martin Luther King with the Boston and Chicago Children's Choirs

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., the Boston Children's Chorus will have a joint concert with the Chicago Children's Choir, on January 21, 2008, at the New England Conservatory.

The Boston Children's Choir (BCC), which has nine choirs, is renowned for the artistic excellence of its nearly 300 singers, who range in age from 7 to 18.

But what makes the BCC so special is "the use of our artistic excellence to create social change for youth development that unifies the city," says BCC artistic director Anthony Trecek-King.

Also, he adds, it is "hard to find a chorus that is as socio-economically [and] religiously diverse as what we have here [in the BCC]."

The BCC was founded by Hubie Jones about 10 years ago, after he was inspired by a performance of the Chicago Children's Choir at a civic event, explained Trecek-King.

Since its founding, the BCC has grown steadily in size and reputation.

The premier choir has performed in Mexico and Japan, in addition to singing with the Soweto Gospel Choir, Westminster Choir College, and the Chicago Children's Chorus.

Locally, the choir has sung with the Boston Pops for the 4th of July at the Esplanade concert. The 2004 Democratic National Convention and the 2007 inauguration of Gov. Deval Patrick were also occasions for which the choir performed.

The Chicago Children's Choir, also a multi-cultural choir, will reunite with the BCC for the Jan. 21 concert in honor of Dr. King, which WCVB-TV channel 5 will televise.

Called "Remembering Yesterday, Inspiring Tomorrow," the concert will feature different genres of choral music, such as gospel, classical and jazz, said Trecek-King. Music from India will be on the concert repertoire as well.

Moreover, the concert will incorporate BCC collaborations with the Boston Arts Academy and Project STEP, which is affiliated with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the New England Conservatory.

"It's going to be an exciting show. Anybody who's a music lover" will enjoy the concert, said Trecek-King.

The Boston Children's Chorus and the Chicago Children's Choir will perform on Jan. 21, at 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Tickets to the 1:00 concert, which is an open dress-rehearsal, are $10 each.

Tickets to the 7:00 p.m. are $25 each, including for children. Concert-goers should be seated no later than 6:45 p.m., before the taping of the concert begins by WCVB-TV channel 5.

Tickets are on sale at or through: • Jordan Hall Box Office (617-585-1260) • Nubian Notion, 57 Warren Street, Roxbury • online at bostonchildrenschorus.org or tix.com.

Source: EthnicNewz.org

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