Boston, MA (August 12, 2024) – Boston Children’s Chorus (BCC) today announced the theme for their upcoming season, “People, Get Ready.” Inspired by the legacies of two civil rights leaders who had formative experiences in Boston, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, BCC singers will explore civic engagement and the importance of collective action in the fight for social justice. BCC will place an emphasis on advocacy with empathy and goodhearted leadership, bringing an antidote of hope to its audiences, especially during a fiercely contentious election season in the fall.

BCC’s 22nd season will embark on a musical journey that challenges, inspires, and empowers through unforgettable performances that resonate long after the final note, helping to create a world where every voice is valued, and every heart is filled with hope.

The theme is inspired by The Impressions’ hit song from 1965, “People Get Ready,” which was named the unofficial anthem of the Civil Rights Movement by Dr. King. The track, a continuation of gospel- inspired Black American freedom songs, was named the 122nd greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone magazine in 2021 and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998.

“Throughout our upcoming season, during every rehearsal and performance, BCC singers will explore Boston’s rich history of civic engagement, seen through the lens of these two very pivotal civil rights leaders, as a way to uplift and support those calling for social and political change across the country and the world,” said Andrés Holder, Executive Director, Boston Children’s Chorus. “We are fortunate that our city was home at different times to Dr. King and Malcolm X, two iconic civil rights leaders whose civic engagement helped advance equality for many and who continue to be examples of the work we must continue to undertake.”

Highlights for the upcoming season theme include: 

Concerts

• Bound Together: On November 9, 2024, at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the Premier and Recital Choirs will kick off the season with a concert that embodies the spirit of protest and perseverance through the transformative power of love and collective action.
• Road to Freedom: The 22nd annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute Concert at Boston Symphony Hall will take place on January 20, 2025 – Inauguration Day for the United States President-Elect. BCC singers will delve into the relationship of the complex, multifaceted philosophies of Dr. King and Malcom X, highlighting their shared struggles, divergent tactics, and ultimate contributions to the fight for equality. 
• Stand The Storm: BCC singers from the Premier, Concert, and Recital choirs join forces with the Spirituals of Boston Arts Academy for the Massachusetts premiere of Rollo Dilworth’s Weather: Stand the Storm at First Church Cambridge in March. The performance will invite audiences to consider the journey we have made as a global community across the last few years and to ponder what it takes to move forward in greater harmony and resilience.
• We Are the Change: The Lower Choirs – BCC’s youngest voices – will take center stage and celebrate the power of youth leadership and advocacy at First Church Cambridge in March 2025.
• Leaders Among Us: All choirs will shine a spotlight on the remarkable achievements of BCC alumni, singers, and community members who are making a difference in the world during the season finale concert at The Strand Theatre in June 2025. 

Retreats

BCC will be partnering with Ron Burton Training Village and Blue Hills Boys and Girls Clubs for their annual choir retreats. In the fall, singers will have the chance to deepen connections with one another, engage in fun and impactful team-building activities, and dive into enriching rehearsals focused on the season’s repertoire. These retreats offer a unique opportunity for singers to strengthen their teamwork and collaboration skills while exploring this season's theme. 

Season Partner

MassCreative will join as a Season Partner to lead civic engagement workshops with BCC singers and staff to explore arts activism, civic responsibility, and discuss the intersections between the arts and politics. They explore efforts to use art and culture to develop creative strategies that educate and encourage participation in the electoral process.

MassCreative is a statewide arts and culture advocacy organization that envisions a Commonwealth of Massachusetts where arts, culture, and creativity are an expected, well-funded and valued part of everyday life, and are recognized as having significant impact on building civic engagement and economically vibrant, equitable communities. 

Artist Collaborations
This season's Opus Nuovo Composers will be Victor C. Johnson and Tracy Wong. The Opus Nuovo initiative seeks to engage with diverse artists and cultures to expand the creative experiences of BCC singers and their families. 

• Victor C. Johnson, from Dallas, Texas, is currently the School Choral Editor for Sing!, the educational publishing division of Choristers Guild and has over 450 choral works, vocal solo books, and keyboard collections currently in print. An in-demand guest conductor, Victor also was a choral director at Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts and directed the Academy Singers, Academy Men’s Choir, and was the Artistic Director of the Singing Girls of Texas and Children’s Choir of Texas. This commission will feature the intermediate, middle school-aged singers and premiere at We are the Change in March.
• Dr. Tracy Wong hails from Malaysia and is a choral conductor, music educator, composer, vocalist, and pianist. She is passionate about helping choral educators to provide unique experiences for their students through collaborative commissions, customized workshops, festivals, and artist residencies. She has conducted workshops for choirs in North America and internationally. Her choral works are widely published, and they have been performed by choirs at international competitions and festivals. This commission will feature our high school-aged singers and premiere at Leaders Among Us in June. 

• B.E. Boykin, Tehillah Alphonso, and Nancy O’Connor will assist throughout the season as choral and instrumental arrangers. Boykin, a composer, pianist, and conductor from Alexandria, Virginia, has been commissioned by and collaborated with several organizations, including the Kennedy Center and Minnesota Opera, and was featured as the conductor/composer-in- residence for the 2017 Harry T. Burleigh Commemorative Spiritual Festival at Tennessee State University. Alphonso is a Nigerian American vocalist, pianist, music director, and GRAMMY®- nominated arranger based in Los Angeles, California who has performed at the Staples Center, Rose Bowl, and Carnegie Hall, also having sung alongside notable artists like Chloe Bailey, Billie Eilish, and Olivia Rodrigo in several films and television shows. O’Connor recently worked as the Associate Music Director for “Evita” at the American Repertory Theatre and Shakespeare Theatre Company, a sub conductor and pianist for the Off-Broadway musical “Titaníque,” and the Associate Conductor/Keys 2 player for the Lulu National Tour of “Waitress.” 

• Brittany Campbell will be a Guest soloist for the 22nd annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute Concert, Road to Freedom. Campbell is an award-winning actress, singer, songwriter, producer, and visual artist. Campbell made her start singing in The Metropolitan Opera after winning the Rosa Ponsell Award for best female vocalist at the age of 8. She has since appeared on television and onstage in numerous musical theatre and opera productions, such as Broadway’s The Civil War and A Christmas Carol, the Revival National Tour of Les Miserables, and Hamilton (Chicago). Brittany and BCC previously worked together during the American Repertory Theatre’s production of the new environmental musical, WILD: a Musical Becoming, with Idina Menzel.

• Sherylynn Sealy, a BCC ’08 alum, and recent featured soloist at the Boston Pops Gospel Night, will join BCC once again on stage for their Finale Concert, Leaders Among Us. Sealy is a creative who facilitates vocal worship experiences at churches and venues including Boston’s Symphony Hall, Edward A. Hatch Memorial Shell on the Charles River Esplanade, and similar venues across New England. A yoga instructor, barre instructor, and a trained dancer in ballet and various ballroom styles, she created TrustLoveKnow | The Christian Wellness Company, where she uses movement and music to support spiritual growth. Sherylynn is a Teach for America alumna. She received her Master of Public Administration degree from New York University and her Bachelor of Science degree from Northeastern University. She is an independent philanthropic consultant.
• In May, BCC will take part in the 15th-century play “Noah’s Flood.” In collaboration with Boston Lyric Opera, Boston String Academy, Back Bay Ringers, Boston Symphony Orchestra, New England Conservatory Preparatory School — and more — hundreds of Boston area youth will come together to bring you a timely, tour-de-force event. The play recounts the story of one family’s resilience in the face of an earth-shattering storm. Composer Benjamin Britten wrote this opera just a few years after experiencing a devastating flood in his own coastal town. Nearly 70 years later, climate resilience has taken an even greater spotlight.                                                                                                                                                                           

About Boston Children’s Chorus

Boston Children’s Chorus (BCC) was founded in 2003 by Hubie Jones, a civic leader who has worked for six decades to address the social problems facing Boston’s underserved children and communities. Named Boston’s “Ambassadors of Harmony” by The Boston Globe, BCC harnesses the power of music to connect Boston’s diverse communities, cultivate empathy, and inspire social inquiry. BCC choir programs include 11 choirs with singers from 110 different zip codes in and around Boston. Outside of their after-school programming, BCC is proud to partner with schools to develop in-school choral programs in Mattapan, Roxbury, South Boston, East Boston, Allston and the city of Chelsea. BCC presents over 50 performances per season in a wide range of public and private events. They have performed in venues from Boston Symphony Hall, and Royal Albert Hall in London, to Sydney Opera House, and the White House.

BCC is supported in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency, and in part by a grant from the Boston Cultural Council, a local agency which is funded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, administered by the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture.

Media Contact:  
Kyle Montemagno
kmontemagno@thecastlegrp.com 
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