Vienna Boys' Choir visits patients at CHOP (6abc.com)

UNIVERSITY CITY (WPVI) --

An internationally recognized choir made a special stop in University City on Tuesday. They sang for some of the young patients receiving treatment at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

The sound of 23 young voices filled the atrium of the hospital. The world renowned Vienna Boys' Choir made a stop here on their U.S. tour, and with each note they sang, the holiday cheer swelled.

Madeline Bell, President and CEO of CHOP, tells us, "It's just a way to get away from bedside and feel a little more normal like kid and enjoy some of the holiday festivities."

Patients and ... continue reading

St. Paul's Choir School releases debut Christmas album (cbsnews.com)

The boys of St. Paul's Choir School are in the holiday spirit, and these boys have plenty of reasons to sing. The school's choir recently released a debut album, "Christmas in Harvard Square," reports CBS News correspondent Vladimir Duthiers.

From the rehearsal rooms to the church, music bellows through the Cambridge, Massachusetts, middle school where only 12 new students are accepted each year.

Thomas Potts, a 7th grader, said the audition was "very friendly."

"It was ... continue reading

Letter: Choral Society's 50th thrills audience (southcoasttoday.com)

Anyone lucky enough to enter New Bedford’s First Unitarian Church on Sunday afternoon was treated to a musical delight: the Greater New Bedford Choral Society’s 50th anniversary Winter Concert.

Led by director Gerald P. Dyck, the chorus presented a wide-ranging program featuring nostalgic winter ballads, gems of the Classic period and original compositions by Mr. Dyck. The Choral Society is known for tackling difficult material, and this concert was no exception; the choristers handled even the most challenging pieces with fluidity and vigor. Even the uncharacteristic “Binary Fifty,” Mr. Dyck’s demanding rhythmic composition, was delivered with precision and energy.

To this listener, the ... continue reading

County's oldest choral group to host holiday concert (Orange County Register)

The Master Chorale of Saddleback Valley, the county’s longest-standing choral performing group, will host A Merry Little Christmas concert on Sunday in Mission Viejo.

The concert features classic holiday favorites as well as other songs by the group’s nearly 50 vocal musicians.

The Master Chorale of Saddleback Valley began in ... continue reading

Tidings of Comfort and Joy:' Sippican Choral Society performs jubilant 49th annual Christmas concert (Wicked Local Rochester)

MARION – The Sippican Choral Society performed its 49th Christmas concert “Tidings of Comfort and Joy” Sunday, Dec. 7, to a packed house at Tabor Academy’s Wickenden Chapel and set the tone for what lay ahead for the regional chorus as it enters its golden year.

For nearly 50 years, residents of the South Coast have kicked off their festive holiday season with a ... continue reading

Music review: Christmas with the Australian Boys Choir (The Sydney Morning Herald)

CHRISTMAS WITH THE AUSTRALIAN BOYS CHOIR ★★★☆
Auburn Uniting Church
December 13, 14

Coming to the end of its 75^th year of operations, this well-known choir entered into the celebratory spirit of the season with a solid program that gave a platform to all singers connected to the organisation – experienced and beginners – as well as calling on a large audience of family members and supporters to work through five carols woven into the afternoon's progress.

As a focal work, conductor/artistic director Noel Ancell chose John Rutter's three-movement Gloria, which requires a brass octet, timpani and percussion as well as organ, a band that added barnstorming meat to the congregational items.

Several passages made a ... continue reading

Nine Lessons and Carols: Grand Rapids Choir of Men and Boys celebrates the season (mlive.com)

GRAND RAPIDS – In November 1918, World War I ended with an armistice, and war-weary people to celebrate peace on earth for the first time in four years.

At Cambridge University in England, a former British Army chaplain organized “A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols” to be held on Christmas Eve.

The service of lessons from the Bible followed by anthems and carols reflecting the readers that was born at King’s College soon spread throughout the English-speaking world.

The Grand Rapids Choir of Men and Boys celebrates its ... continue reading

Messiah review – Cardiff Polyponic Choir celebrate their anniversary in stirring style (theguardian.com)

Cardiff Polyphonic Choir has been celebrating its 50th anniversary in some style already this year, and it is a measure of its standing that it has by tradition sung Handel’s Messiah on a triennial basis taking turns with the BBC National Chorus of Wales and Welsh National Opera. Soprano Rebecca Evans - an acclaimed Rodelinda at ENO earlier in the year - had appeared as soloist with the choir early in her career and, now the choir’s president, returned for this festive performance. Particularly in the first half of the evening and the aria Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion, Evans’s graceful phrasing and the elegant ornamentation – an ongoing legacy of the role of Charles Mackerras in her singing – were a treat.

It was also the ... continue reading

Hospital Choir raise Music Hall roof in Christmas cancer concert (Aberdeen Journals Ltd)

Festive harmonies and Christmas carols echoed around the Aberdeen Music Hall as the NHS Grampian Hospital’s Christmas Carol Concert gave a children’s cancer charity a major boost.

The annual event raises money for CLIC Sargent, which supports young people and children whose lives have been affected by the illness.

An enormous choir and a string section played holiday classics to a packed audience, including favourites such as Joy to the World, Hark The Herald Angels Sing, and O Holy Night.

However, the biggest rounds of applause were ... continue reading

York High School choral holiday concert (seacoastonline.com)

YORK - The York High School music program will present the second of its two annual Choral Holiday Concerts at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19, at St Christopher's Catholic Church in York Village. The concert, under the direction of Rob Westerberg with accompanist Deborah Clough, will include performances by the York High School Honors Treble Choir, Chorus and Chamber Singers. The program will ... continue reading

Double Medals For MUSON Choir (Guardian News)

THE MUSON School Diploma Choir, a musical group in Nigeria has won gold and silver medals apiece at the just concluded 7th International Choir Festival and Competition, which took place at Isola Del Sole, Grado, Italy.

Led by its director, Sir Emeka Nwokedi, the group, which consists of 34 members left for Rome, then moved to Trieste and finally to Grado where they lodged for the five-day event which held between October 1 and 5.

The choir, conducted by ... continue reading

Nearly sellout crowd takes in MSO's ‘Home for the Holidays’ show ( Herald Mail Media)

Maryland Symphony Orchestra fans got more bang for their bucks Sunday during the group's annual "Home for the Holidays" concert when two choirs and two soloists joined the orchestra at The Maryland Theatre.

The theater helped get the holiday spirit going with a blue, snowflake background behind the orchestra and a Christmas tree adorning each side of the stage.

The orchestra kicked off the musical offerings in the ... continue reading

Choral Society welcomes student singers in Friday concert (Your Houston News)

Celebrating its 43rd season, the Montgomery County Choral Society is in preparation for its upcoming concert with sounds of “Christmas Inspirations” on Friday night.

Continuing its tradition of educational outreach, the Choral Society will be joined by the Fourth Grade Choir from Giesinger Elementary School of Conroe and the Fifth and Sixth Grade Choir from Coulson Tough K-6 School of The Woodlands.

The selected fare for this festive evening includes ... continue reading

MUSIC REVIEW - Bourne Choral Society, Programme of Advent and Christmas Music, Bourne Abbey Church (Spalding Guardian)

Town choir making a chorus line exceedingly festive

No Christmas season would be complete without the annual Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols held at King’s College Chapel, Cambridge.

As a setting, Bourne Abbey was far from a distant second on Saturday when the town’s choral society put on its own version of the university city’s Christmas Eve fixture which was first held in 1918.

Bourne Choral Society, directed by ... continue reading

Fall Choral Concert features unique performance ( Laurel Cooper )

On Oct. 8, various UT singing groups performed in the AMB auditorium for the Fall Choral Concert. A capella groups, chorale groups and the Tennessee Chamber Singers were among the performers at the concert.

The concert began at 8p.m. with a capella group, Four O’Clock Shadow. The group sang barbershop classics and a variety of contemporary hits.

Men’s Chorale, Concert Choir, Women’s Chorale and the Tennessee Chamber Singers performed later with each group showcasing a unique set of songs and interesting stage themes.

Men’s Chorale opened their set with a ... continue reading

Lagos Community Gospel Choir ()

Lagos Gospel Community Choir and several artistes came together for an evening that held all in attendance in awe of the presence of God.

When Zjolt arrived the event at a couple of minutes to 5pm, a good number were already seated with many still coming in.
As we waited for the evening with one of Lagos’ fantastic choirs, our expectations heightened as a video of Mariam Anazodo’s interview with several artistes billed to minister for the night playing on the big screen.

Tosin Martins said it was going to be an extraordinary evening, Lara George said Gospel music’s standard had risen to another level and her sound had evolved.  Tim Godfrey, wearing a double hat as Choir Director of LCGC and ... continue reading

Choir Boy' melds music and message at Geffen (Los Angeles Times)

A transformation happens to the students of Charles R. Drew Prep School for Boys whenever they open their mouths to sing. As soon as these feisty adolescents give themselves over to the Negro Spirituals that inspired their ancestors, the jousting, bickering and name-calling that have been dominating their extracurricular lives no longer seem all that important.

A similar change happens to Tarell Alvin McCraney's drama "Choir Boy" whenever these characters switch from speech to song. A play with a plot that could easily be incorporated into a season of "Glee" moves from prose to ... continue reading