The two choirs will launch in Cherry Hill on Wednesday, Oct. 12. Students in grades five to eight can audition to join. Third and fourth grade students do not need to audition.
Commonwealth Youthchoirs has singers performing on all seven continents and performed before audiences of presidents, peace prize winners and, most recently, the Pope, during the papal visit to Philadelphia last year. Now the organization is expanding to New Jersey:
Garden State Girlchoir and New Jersey Boychoir will launch in Cherry Hill on Wednesday, Oct. 12.
“Members of Garden State Girlchoir and New Jersey Boychoir will be offered unparalleled musical, cultural and social opportunities they won’t find anywhere else,” Artistic Director Steven Fisher said.
All fifth through eighth graders must audition for the choirs, but are encouraged to do so regardless of singing experience. Third and fourth graders don’t need to audition to join.
“If a boy or girl hasn’t found their singing voice, we’ll help them find it,” Fisher said. “What most people don’t realize is singing is like riding a bike. Everyone can do it. Someone simply needs to take the time to teach you — then you have it for life!”
The choirs will rehearse at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Cherry Hill every Wednesday from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Auditions are being held on Monday, Oct. 10 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. by appointment or walk in, other days by appointment and every Wednesday through the fall from 4 to 4:30pm and 6 to 6:30pm.
Lauren Canna, newly appointed music director of Garden State Girlchoir and New Jersey Boychoir, has a wealth of experience with children’s voices.
“I’m thrilled to be leading this effort with Steve Fisher to fill a real void in the Moorestown — Cherry Hill — Haddonfield region.” Canna said. “Every singer who joins this season will be a founding member and will go down in choral history as inaugural choristers of the area’s very first community-based Girlchoir and Boychoir!”
Members of GSG and NJB will have an array of life-changing music-making opportunities this season, including an ecumenical concert honoring children of all faiths, two holiday concerts with cousin choirs Pennsylvania Girlchoir and the Keystone State Boychoir, a Yom HaShoah Service commemorating the Holocaust, and a NEA-sponsored performance of The Children’s March chronicling a shining moment of the Civil Rights movement. The season will culminate with a spectacular, performance on stage with the award-winning Broadway composer Stephen Schwartz at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, June 17. Next summer, members of the Garden State Girlchoir will be offered the opportunity to tour Sweden with the Pennsylvania Girlchoir, and members of the New Jersey Boychoir will have the chance to tour Germany and the Czech Republic with the Keystone State Boychoir to perform the opera Brundibar.
Boys interested in joining can visit www.newjerseyboychoir.org. Girls interested in joining can visit www.gardenstategirlchoir.org. To learn more about the Commonwealth Youthchoirs’ family of choral programs, visit www.cychoirs.org. You can also contact Carli Visconti, program manager of GSG and NJB, at cvisconti@cychoirs.org or (203) 247–7757.
