Philadelphia Boys Choir & Chorale
Encyclopedia
Philadelphia Boys Choir & Chorale is a boys' choir
and mens chorale based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, currently under the direction of Jeffery R. Smith. They are known as "America's Ambassadors of Song" and are considered to be one of the best boys choirs in the world. Their notable concert venues have included Carnegie Hall
, the Sydney Opera House
, the Kimmel Center, and the Academy of Music (Philadelphia)
.
, Riccardo Muti
, Zubin Mehta
, Klaus Tennstedt
and Wolfgang Sawallisch
in concert with the Philadelphia Orchestra
. Riccardo Muti hailed the boys as "a treasure" at the performance of the concert version of Puccini's Tosca with internationally acclaimed soloists Carol Vaness, Giuseppe Giacomini, Giorgio Zancanaro and the Westminster Symphonic Choir. Guest conductors Dennis Russell Davies
and Charles Dutoit
have conducted the Choir for performances of Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream and the concert version of Puccini's La Bohème with the Philadelphia Orchestra. During the 1990s, the Choir added Benjamin Britten's War Requiem to its repertoire under the baton of Wolfgang Sawallisch, as well as the concert version of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, conducted by Zdenek Macal in 1996 with the Choral Arts Society. Each year, the Pennsylvania Ballet hosts the Choir as part of their seasonal favorite, The Nutcracker.
Internationally, the Choir singers have performed for the Royal Families of Sweden, Denmark, England, Thailand and in over 30 countries around the world.
In 2008, the choir celebrated its anniversary with a concert at the Irvine Auditorium and a tour to Spain, a first for the choir. In 2009, the choir went to South America after a successful performance at Carnegie Hall in New York City. The choir over the years has become a household name in the Philadelphia area and therefore is very successful at attracting young singers. In 1992 they sang at the Sydney Opera House to a sold out audience. They have also sung at the White House for four presidents. Recently, the choir sang for Barack Obama
in Germantown, and Laura Bush
at the Cityline Hotel in Philadelphia.
The winter concert consists of mostly Christmas music. Both pop songs, and traditional carols are performed. The concert is therefore often performed in theaters, concert halls, and the occasional church. The Winter concert is performed with a full concert orchestra and is a family favorite for the entire Delaware Valley.
The spring concert is often themed, so stage settings, choir fundraisers, and most importantly, the music, follows a central concept. The musical styles have ranged from full classical choral/orchestral works (e.g. Orff's Carmina Burana
), to pop, to modern choral compositions. The spring concert offers the most diversity of repertoire, and is often considered the most musically sophisticated of the two.
Concert venues have included the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, Philadelphia's Academy of Music, and numerous venues with community and faith-based organizations in the Philadelphia Metro region. Over the years, the choir has been increasing its presence in New York with performances on Good Morning America
and multiple concerts at Carnegie Hall
, 1993 World Series and the 2008 NLCS, the 2009 NLCS, and the 2010 NLCS.
The Philadelphia Boys Choir sings in the Pennsylvania Ballet
's "The Nutcracker
" every winter at the Academy of Music. Starting in 2009, they perform with Peter Nero
and the Philly Pops
and also Lauren Kennedy
at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
. They sing in Philadelphia's Macy's during Christmas with the historical light show. The Philadelphia Orchestra
often recruits the boys choir for necessary pieces.
Three Holiday CDs.
1. Celebrate the Sounds of the Season
2. Shimmering, Glimmering
3. Holiday Enchantment
One album of audience favorites
4. By Request
One album of showtunes.
5. One Singular Sensation
One Complete Recording of a commissioned work.
6. Concert Mass
, Joe Bonsall
(Oak Ridge Boys), Shawn Stockman
(Boyz II Men
), Stephen Tirpak
and Ukee Washington
and Justin Hopkins. Boys in the choir have been asked to perform on Broadway on numerous occasions, and several alumni have secured roles.
Tasco, Mexico City, Guadalupe
1970 EUROPEAN TOUR
Poland, USSR, Sweden, Denmark, Finland
1972 SOUTH PACIFIC TOUR
Australia, New Zealand, California
1974 AFRICAN TOUR
Belgium, Kenya, Mombasa
1975 JAPAN TOUR
Osaka, Kyoto, Kibe, Tokyo, Hawaii
1977 WORLD TOUR
Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Denmark, England
1978 UNITED STATES TOUR
Denver, San Francisco, Las Vegas, St. Louis
1979 SECOND WORLD TOUR
People’s Republic of China, Egypt, Pakistan
1980 CANADA TOUR
Calgary, Knox, Banff
1981 EAST COAST TOUR
Washington DC, Florida
1982 PHILADELPHIA
TRICENTENNIAL TOUR
Queen Elizabeth 2 (transatlantic), London, Southampton
1983 ENGLAND TOUR
Queen Elizabeth 2 (transatlantic), London
1984 SECOND EUROPEAN TOUR
France, Italy, Monaco
1985 THIRD EUROPEAN TOUR
Yugoslavia, Greece
1987 “LET FREEDOM SING” TOUR
13 Original Colonies
1988 IRELAND TOUR
Dublin, Waterford, Wexford.
In Celebration of the City of Dublin’s Millennium
1989 GERMANY TOUR
Bonn, Hennef, Nurnberg, Hamburg, Cologne, Düsseldorf, East Berlin
1990 MIDDLE EAST TOUR
Israel, Jordan
1990 U.S.S.R. TOUR
Leningrad, Moscow, Yaroslavl, Rostov
1992 AUSTRALIAN TOUR
Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns
1993 25th ANNIVERSARY TOUR
England, Scotland, Wales
1994 CENTRAL EUROPEAN TOUR
Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Hungary, Poland
1995 SWITZERLAND TOUR
Basel, Winterthur, Andelfingen, Unterageri
1996 AUSTRALIAN TOUR
Melbourne, Adelaide, Alice Springs, Ayers Rock, Sydney
1997 SOUTH AFRICAN TOUR
Cape Town, Johannesburg, Kimberley, Knysna, Pretoria
1998 “OLD SOUTH” TOUR
New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Natchez, Vicksburg, St. Francisville
1999 CUBAN TOUR
Havana, Pinar del Rio, Mantanzas, Santiago
2000 GERMANY & RUSSIA TOUR
Berlin, Hennef, Wuppertal, Hannover,
Nizhny Novgorod
2001 CHINA & KOREA TOUR
Beijing, Hanchune, Tianjin, Incheon, Seoul
2002 FRANCE & ITALY TOUR
Paris, Aix-en-Provence, Florence, Venice
2003 FLORIDA & CUBA TOUR
St. Petersburg, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Havana
2004 SCANDINAVIAN TOUR
Copenhagen, Lund, Oslo, Bergen, Reykjavik
2005 ALASKA & CANADA
Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Prince Rupert, Canada
2006 CENTRAL AMERICA TOUR
Florida, Panama, Costa Rica
2007 GREECE & TURKEY TOUR
Istanbul, Thessaloniki, Delphi, Athens
2008 SPAIN & GERMANY TOUR
Seville, Granada, Toledo, Madrid, Berlin, Mecklenburg
2009 ARGENTINA & URUGUAY TOUR
Buenos Aires, Lujan, La Plata, Salto, Colonia, Montevideo
2010 CHINA TOUR
Shanghai, Xi'an, Beijing, Tianjin
Future Tours:
2011 "Wild West Tour"
, FOX29, and most recently "Good Morning America". 6ABC has shown some of their concerts. On December 24, 2009 the choir again performed on "Good Morning America".
Boys' choir
A boys' choir is a choir primarily made up of choirboys who have yet to begin puberty or are in the early to middle stages of puberty and so retain their more highly pitched childhood voice type...
and mens chorale based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, currently under the direction of Jeffery R. Smith. They are known as "America's Ambassadors of Song" and are considered to be one of the best boys choirs in the world. Their notable concert venues have included Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
, the Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
, the Kimmel Center, and the Academy of Music (Philadelphia)
Academy of Music (Philadelphia)
The Academy of Music, also known as American Academy of Music, is a concert hall and opera house located at Broad and Locust Streets in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1857 and is the oldest opera house in the United States that is still used for its original purpose...
.
History
Robert G. Hamilton founded what is today the Philadelphia Boys Choir & Chorale in 1968. He remained the artistic director for the choir's next 37 years. In 1968 they launched the concert tour to Mexico, the first of many. The Choir has performed premieres of works under the batons of Maestros Eugene OrmandyEugene Ormandy
Eugene Ormandy was a Hungarian-born conductor and violinist.-Early life:Born Jenő Blau in Budapest, Hungary, Ormandy began studying violin at the Royal National Hungarian Academy of Music at the age of five...
, Riccardo Muti
Riccardo Muti
Riccardo Muti, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI is an Italian conductor and music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.-Childhood and education:...
, Zubin Mehta
Zubin Mehta
Zubin Mehta is an Indian conductor of western classical music. He is the Music Director for Life of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.-Biography:...
, Klaus Tennstedt
Klaus Tennstedt
Klaus Tennstedt was a German conductor from Merseburg; he conducted such orchestras as the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra; Kiel Opera in Northern Germany; North German Radio Orchestra, in Hamburg; the Minnesota Orchestra; and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.-Life and career:He studied violin and...
and Wolfgang Sawallisch
Wolfgang Sawallisch
Wolfgang Sawallisch is a retired German conductor and pianist.-Biography:Sawallisch was born in Munich, and studied composition and pianoforte there privately: at the conclusion of the war, in 1946 he continued his studies at the Munich High School for Music and passed his final examination for...
in concert with the Philadelphia Orchestra
Philadelphia Orchestra
The Philadelphia Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. One of the "Big Five" American orchestras, it was founded in 1900...
. Riccardo Muti hailed the boys as "a treasure" at the performance of the concert version of Puccini's Tosca with internationally acclaimed soloists Carol Vaness, Giuseppe Giacomini, Giorgio Zancanaro and the Westminster Symphonic Choir. Guest conductors Dennis Russell Davies
Dennis Russell Davies
Dennis Russell Davies is an American conductor and pianist. He studied piano and conducting at the Juilliard School where he received his doctorate...
and Charles Dutoit
Charles Dutoit
Charles Édouard Dutoit, is a Swiss conductor, particularly noted for his interpretations of French and Russian 20th century music...
have conducted the Choir for performances of Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream and the concert version of Puccini's La Bohème with the Philadelphia Orchestra. During the 1990s, the Choir added Benjamin Britten's War Requiem to its repertoire under the baton of Wolfgang Sawallisch, as well as the concert version of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, conducted by Zdenek Macal in 1996 with the Choral Arts Society. Each year, the Pennsylvania Ballet hosts the Choir as part of their seasonal favorite, The Nutcracker.
Internationally, the Choir singers have performed for the Royal Families of Sweden, Denmark, England, Thailand and in over 30 countries around the world.
In 2008, the choir celebrated its anniversary with a concert at the Irvine Auditorium and a tour to Spain, a first for the choir. In 2009, the choir went to South America after a successful performance at Carnegie Hall in New York City. The choir over the years has become a household name in the Philadelphia area and therefore is very successful at attracting young singers. In 1992 they sang at the Sydney Opera House to a sold out audience. They have also sung at the White House for four presidents. Recently, the choir sang for Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
in Germantown, and Laura Bush
Laura Bush
Laura Lane Welch Bush is the wife of the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush. She was the First Lady of the United States from January 20, 2001, to January 20, 2009. She has held a love of books and reading since childhood and her life and education have reflected that interest...
at the Cityline Hotel in Philadelphia.
Major Annual Concerts
The Philadelphia Boys Choir and Chorale performs two major annual concerts; the Winter concert, and the Spring concert.The winter concert consists of mostly Christmas music. Both pop songs, and traditional carols are performed. The concert is therefore often performed in theaters, concert halls, and the occasional church. The Winter concert is performed with a full concert orchestra and is a family favorite for the entire Delaware Valley.
The spring concert is often themed, so stage settings, choir fundraisers, and most importantly, the music, follows a central concept. The musical styles have ranged from full classical choral/orchestral works (e.g. Orff's Carmina Burana
Carmina Burana
Carmina Burana , Latin for "Songs from Beuern" , is the name given to a manuscript of 254 poems and dramatic texts mostly from the 11th or 12th century, although some are from the 13th century. The pieces were written principally in Medieval Latin; a few in Middle High German, and some with traces...
), to pop, to modern choral compositions. The spring concert offers the most diversity of repertoire, and is often considered the most musically sophisticated of the two.
Concert venues have included the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, Philadelphia's Academy of Music, and numerous venues with community and faith-based organizations in the Philadelphia Metro region. Over the years, the choir has been increasing its presence in New York with performances on Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
and multiple concerts at Carnegie Hall
Other Important Performances
The choir annually sings the national anthem at the Philadelphia Phillies Home Opener, and has done the same for the 1980 World Series1980 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 14, 1980 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaThe Royals jumped on Philly rookie starter Bob Walk early with a pair of two run bombs—one by Amos Otis in the second and another by Willie Aikens in the third...
, 1993 World Series and the 2008 NLCS, the 2009 NLCS, and the 2010 NLCS.
The Philadelphia Boys Choir sings in the Pennsylvania Ballet
Pennsylvania Ballet
Founded in 1963 by Balanchine student and protégée Barbara Weisberger, Pennsylvania Ballet is one of the leading ballet companies in the United States. Headquartered in Philadelphia, the company’s annual local season features six programs of classic favorites and new works, including the...
's "The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". It was given its première at the Mariinsky Theatre in St...
" every winter at the Academy of Music. Starting in 2009, they perform with Peter Nero
Peter Nero
Peter Nero is an American pianist and pops conductor.-Early life:Born in Brooklyn, New York, As Bernard Nierow, Nero started his formal music training at the age of seven. He studied piano under Frederick Bried...
and the Philly Pops
Philly Pops
The Philly Pops is an orchestra based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Led by two time GRAMMY Award-winningpianist Peter Nero, Peter Nero and the Philly Pops is an entity that consistently brings an enthusiastic response from its audience...
and also Lauren Kennedy
Lauren Kennedy
Lauren Kennedy is an actress and a singer who has performed numerous times on Broadway. She most recently starred in the Off-Broadway show Good Ol' Girls at the Black Box Theatre during the 2009-2010 season...
at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts is a large performing arts venue located on Broad Street, along the stretch known as the "Avenue of the Arts", in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is owned and operated by Kimmel Center, Inc., an organization which also manages the Academy of Music in...
. They sing in Philadelphia's Macy's during Christmas with the historical light show. The Philadelphia Orchestra
Philadelphia Orchestra
The Philadelphia Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. One of the "Big Five" American orchestras, it was founded in 1900...
often recruits the boys choir for necessary pieces.
Recordings
The Choir currently offers 6 albums in CD Format. They are:Three Holiday CDs.
1. Celebrate the Sounds of the Season
2. Shimmering, Glimmering
3. Holiday Enchantment
One album of audience favorites
4. By Request
One album of showtunes.
5. One Singular Sensation
One Complete Recording of a commissioned work.
6. Concert Mass
Alumni
Choir alumni include Teddy PendergrassTeddy Pendergrass
Theodore DeReese "Teddy" Pendergrass was an American R&B/soul singer and songwriter. Pendergrass first rose to fame as lead singer of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes in the 1970s before a successful solo career at the end of the decade...
, Joe Bonsall
Joe Bonsall
Joseph Sloan Bonsall, Jr. known professionally as Joe Bonsall is a member of the Oak Ridge Boys, since 1973 and an author...
(Oak Ridge Boys), Shawn Stockman
Shawn Stockman
Shawn Patrick Stockman is an American R&B singer, best known as a member of the vocal group Boyz II Men. He is also a judge on the television show The Sing-Off, alongside Sara Bareilles and Ben Folds....
(Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than albums worldwide. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary...
), Stephen Tirpak
Stephen Tirpak
Stephen Tirpak is a musician, composer, arranger and performer from the Philadelphia area. He is an accomplished pianist and trumpeter who has written, produced and recorded for a number of contemporary musicians including Erykah Badu, P. Diddy, The Roots, LL Cool J, Will Smith, Kanye West,...
and Ukee Washington
Ukee Washington
Ulysses Samuel "Ukee" Washington III is an American news co-anchor for the weekday morning newscast on KYW-TV in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He anchors Eyewitness News This Morning on CBS 3 and The CW Philly with co-anchor Erica Von Tiehl, and co-hosts Talk Philly with Pat Ciarrocchi weekdays at...
and Justin Hopkins. Boys in the choir have been asked to perform on Broadway on numerous occasions, and several alumni have secured roles.
Tours
1968 MEXICAN TOURTasco, Mexico City, Guadalupe
1970 EUROPEAN TOUR
Poland, USSR, Sweden, Denmark, Finland
1972 SOUTH PACIFIC TOUR
Australia, New Zealand, California
1974 AFRICAN TOUR
Belgium, Kenya, Mombasa
1975 JAPAN TOUR
Osaka, Kyoto, Kibe, Tokyo, Hawaii
1977 WORLD TOUR
Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Denmark, England
1978 UNITED STATES TOUR
Denver, San Francisco, Las Vegas, St. Louis
1979 SECOND WORLD TOUR
People’s Republic of China, Egypt, Pakistan
1980 CANADA TOUR
Calgary, Knox, Banff
1981 EAST COAST TOUR
Washington DC, Florida
1982 PHILADELPHIA
TRICENTENNIAL TOUR
Queen Elizabeth 2 (transatlantic), London, Southampton
1983 ENGLAND TOUR
Queen Elizabeth 2 (transatlantic), London
1984 SECOND EUROPEAN TOUR
France, Italy, Monaco
1985 THIRD EUROPEAN TOUR
Yugoslavia, Greece
1987 “LET FREEDOM SING” TOUR
13 Original Colonies
1988 IRELAND TOUR
Dublin, Waterford, Wexford.
In Celebration of the City of Dublin’s Millennium
1989 GERMANY TOUR
Bonn, Hennef, Nurnberg, Hamburg, Cologne, Düsseldorf, East Berlin
1990 MIDDLE EAST TOUR
Israel, Jordan
1990 U.S.S.R. TOUR
Leningrad, Moscow, Yaroslavl, Rostov
1992 AUSTRALIAN TOUR
Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns
1993 25th ANNIVERSARY TOUR
England, Scotland, Wales
1994 CENTRAL EUROPEAN TOUR
Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Hungary, Poland
1995 SWITZERLAND TOUR
Basel, Winterthur, Andelfingen, Unterageri
1996 AUSTRALIAN TOUR
Melbourne, Adelaide, Alice Springs, Ayers Rock, Sydney
1997 SOUTH AFRICAN TOUR
Cape Town, Johannesburg, Kimberley, Knysna, Pretoria
1998 “OLD SOUTH” TOUR
New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Natchez, Vicksburg, St. Francisville
1999 CUBAN TOUR
Havana, Pinar del Rio, Mantanzas, Santiago
2000 GERMANY & RUSSIA TOUR
Berlin, Hennef, Wuppertal, Hannover,
Nizhny Novgorod
2001 CHINA & KOREA TOUR
Beijing, Hanchune, Tianjin, Incheon, Seoul
2002 FRANCE & ITALY TOUR
Paris, Aix-en-Provence, Florence, Venice
2003 FLORIDA & CUBA TOUR
St. Petersburg, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Havana
2004 SCANDINAVIAN TOUR
Copenhagen, Lund, Oslo, Bergen, Reykjavik
2005 ALASKA & CANADA
Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Prince Rupert, Canada
2006 CENTRAL AMERICA TOUR
Florida, Panama, Costa Rica
2007 GREECE & TURKEY TOUR
Istanbul, Thessaloniki, Delphi, Athens
2008 SPAIN & GERMANY TOUR
Seville, Granada, Toledo, Madrid, Berlin, Mecklenburg
2009 ARGENTINA & URUGUAY TOUR
Buenos Aires, Lujan, La Plata, Salto, Colonia, Montevideo
2010 CHINA TOUR
Shanghai, Xi'an, Beijing, Tianjin
Future Tours:
2011 "Wild West Tour"
Television coverage
The Philadelphia Boys Choir & Chorale often appears on television; several networks during the holiday season and during the rest of the year - their 2007 Spring Concert was aired on WHYY. Their holiday arrangements have been featured on CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, FOX29, and most recently "Good Morning America". 6ABC has shown some of their concerts. On December 24, 2009 the choir again performed on "Good Morning America".