Red-Letter Day for BCC

On Feb. 12, we traveled with the Premier Choir to perform at the Eastern Division Conference of the American Choral Director’s Association (ACDA) in Philadelphia.  I am very proud to say that the performance was very well received.  For us, it was a red-letter day – a day on which we were able to showcase an extraordinarily talented group of diverse kids singing at a very high level of excellence.  BCC has the opportunity to play a very important role in shaping opinions (locally, regionally and nationally) of what a group of young, diverse singers can achieve – particularly with such a richly diverse repertoire.

This ACDA performance was an extremely important one for Anthony and for the BCC.  One of our singers said it best when she said to Anthony, “this is all about you … we will leave and graduate, but your  [and BCC’s] reputation is on the line!”  ACDA is the world’s largest organization for choral conductors, and the who’s who of the choral world attend the conferences.

Because I was there as an observer, I had the great fortune of hearing the amazement of the audience members around me.  They were blown away by Anthony’s bio, then by the complexity of the music, by the attention and focus of the singers and also by the diversity of the group.  I was thrilled!

I thought I would share a few of the emails that Anthony received after the concert!  Congratulations to Anthony and to the singers for a job well done!

“… When I returned back, I raved about BCC to my colleagues and even to my choirs.   The children’s voices were beautiful and I enjoyed watching the excitement on their faces as they sang the challenging repertoire.  Your programming was rich with a mix of tone colors, cultures, and styles that kept the audience engaged.  I especially enjoyed “To Plant a Tree” and the closer, “Como Tu”.  Bravo on an excellent concert.  It was the highlight of my convention. Your students are blessed to have someone willing to teach them so much through music.  Congratulations to you and the choir again.”

-Elementary Music Teacher

“First of all, I need to say what a privilege it was to attend your concert. I regret that although I reside in Boston, I hadn’t heard the BCC chorus until this past weekend in Philly. ‘Innovative programming, technically challenging repertoire that was performed so well that it sounded easy, expressive conducting, kids that really know what the music is about and who are able to express themselves both vocally and visually… the list goes on.  Thank you.”

- BU Student

What a special privilege to work with such talent in both the staff and the singers!

Best, David

Excitement!

Where did the time go? With less than two months before the MLK Concert and our major winter holiday concert behind us, we can turn our full attention to the Jan. 18 program at Jordan Hall.

Knowing the venue and the routine after previous years makes it a little easier logistically, but at the same time, the 2010 tribute brings with it an entirely new set of tests. We have a solid core of singers, but there are some members who will be experiencing this show for the first time. And we continue to challenge the singers to raise their level of excellence with new and more complex music, some of which will have to be learned and perfected in a short amount of time.

Additionally, there will be an extra performance for which to prepare as we will be recording an MLK tribute on Jan. 3 that will be broadcast nationally on the “From the Top” radio show on National Public Radio. The show will be recorded during a concert at the Bethel AME Church in Jamaica Plain, and singers and staff are incredibly excited to be working with an organization as amazing and renowned as “From the Top.”

As each rehearsal passes, the anticipation grows. It would be easy to focus solely on the music, but part of our job will also be to impart the message and meaning of the concert