San Francisco School Choirs Receive International Acclaim

Do you plop down in front of the television every Sunday night to watch your favorite show, “Glee?” If you do, you are not alone. “Gleeks,” as “Glee” fans like to call themselves, are a growing crowd and the show is quickly becoming a cultural phenomenon.
Evidently, school chorus groups are not only gaining popularity on television. In the San Francisco Bay Area, choirs are flourishing. There are currently around 40 independent choirs in the area. Many are quickly gaining recognition due to the complexity, variety, and creativity of their collaborations.

Ann Meier Baker is the C.E.O. of Chorus America. She is very excited about the new influx of choirs:
“I’m struck by the quantity and quality of children’s choruses in the Bay Area. These ensembles are world class.”
One of these choirs recently received international acclaim for their talents. The San Francisco Girls Chorus placed in the finals of “Let the Peoples Sing,” an international competition put on by the European Broadcasting Union. In October, the choir will travel to England to face choirs from Estonia and Sweden in another competition.
“We were so excited to learn we were submitted to the competition,” said Teresa Dayrit, a member of the choir. “When we learned that just two other youth choruses besides us would be in the finals, we felt super proud.”
And indeed they should.
Another choir that is receiving acclaim is the Pacific Boychoir Academy. This choir is one of the few “choir schools” in the country, which means that the school offers choral training in addition to the tradition academic program. This Grammy Award-winning chorus will be releasing a spiritual CD in the spring.
And then there is the Ragazzi Boys Chorus. This chorus will be touring Cuba this summer and plans on incorporating animal sounds into their March 26 concert. In January, 60 children auditioned for the Ragazzi Boys Chorus, which is double the number of children who auditioned five years ago.
Does you school have a choir group? Are you a member? Tell us about your experiences!
Via The New York Times
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