In March 2017 Keystone State Boychoir was invited to perform at the American Choral Directors Association National Convention in Minnesota, one of the most prestigious gatherings of music educators in the world. We were thrilled – and honored.

After hearing KSB sing, the ACDA then featured this video on its Facebook Page as an example of what a choir can achieve. We were honored once again.

Listen for yourself:

Your generous support makes moments like these possible in all six of our choral programs. It helps our singers strive for excellence, and in doing so, inspire each other and audiences. Bear witness to the power of young people singing together, make a gift today.

On Thursday, May 4, members of the Graduate and Motet choirs participated in the launch of a collaborative work by composer Tod Machover commissioned by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Philadelphia Voices.

MIT’s Media Lab was at the event, demonstrating the mobile recording app that will help create the piece. Calvin Wamser, a member of the Grad Choir, observed, “Philadelphia Voices is the future of music; it especially interests me because it takes technology that people often say is a waste of time (like cell phones) and combines it with the community building power of music.” Anyone in the city can take part by downloading the Philadelphia Voices app to submit their own recordings of the “voice of Philadelphia.” Learn more here from the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Members from the Philadelphia Orchestra — violinists Yiying Li and Daniel Han, violist Marvin Moon; cellist Gloria dePasquale,  and bassist David Fay ― performed works by Machover, and KSB and PG singers took part in improvisatory experiences. “It was an incredible experience to collaborate with the Philadelphia Orchestra and a composer as respected as Tod Machover,” noted KSB singer Matthew Flynn, “Especially when the piece is inspired by my home!”

Keystone State Boychoir and Pennsylvania Girlchoir are proud to be part of the collaboration along with the choir from the High School of the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA), Sister Cities Girlchoir, and Al Bustan Seeds of Culture and others. A period of discovery will include in-depth discussions, workshops, interactive music sessions, recording “safaris,” and vocal explorations, all of which will inform the final composition.

Sound, voice collection, and community workshops will continue through the fall of 2017. The world premiere of the finished composition takes place April 6-8, 2018, in Philadelphia, followed by its New York premiere at Carnegie Hall on April 10, 2018.

On Tuesday, May 2, 2017, fifty-four years to the day after the Children’s’ Crusade of Birmingham, Alabama, began, hundreds of young singers from Find Your Instrument! Choir, Keystone State Boychoir, and Pennsylvania Girlchoir continued the message of heroism and hope when they performed The Children’s March at Girard College in Philadelphia. In the 1960s, the Children’s Crusade was a pivotal event in the Civil Rights Movement that exemplified bravery by hundreds of children who used non-violent protest in the face arrests and fire hoses. 

The Children’s March was written by two Philadelphia artists: composer Andrew Bleckner and internationally renowned storyteller and librettist Charlotte Blake Alston. A grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) helped fund this performance of The Children’s March, which was originally commissioned by Singing City in 2013. Many remember news reports and TV footage of the heroic actions of hundreds of children in the face of police dogs, fire hoses and batons which brought national attention to the Civil Rights Movement and helped end segregation in Birmingham. The youngest marcher, who was jailed for a week, was only 9 years old.

Some of the singers performing at Girard College are the same age as the protesters were at the time. “The message of this piece is powerful,” said Steven Fisher, founder and artistic director of Keystone State Boychoir. He added, “We want our singers to know that they matter, that their voices matter, and that by singing together, they have the power to change the world.”

The Children’s March garnered public attention including articles in The Philadelphia Citizen, The Philadelphia Tribune, and coverage by 6ABC.

Wednesday, October 19, we launched our “Song IS Home” Concert Series. The first performance of the series was held at the Whosoever Gospel Mission in Germantown, just two blocks from First Presbyterian Church in Germantown (FPCG) – KSB’s rehearsal home. Well over a hundred years old, it turns out that the Mission was founded in the late 1800’s by a member of FPCG.

Our KSB Grads brought a lot of joy to some admirable men who are striving to better their lives.

The purpose for the “Song IS Home” Concert Series is four fold.

1. To help our young singers realize that there are many different kinds of places people call home.
2. To remember that home is wherever one sings a song. No matter where we are in the world or in our lives, when we have a song on our lips, we are home in a way. This is the great gift of song.
3. To bring the joy of song to people who might not always have the opportunity to enjoy choral music and whose spirit very well may need lifting through music.
4.  To bring joy to our young singers by giving them the opportunity to sing with whom they might not ordinarily get the chance and, by doing so, expand their view of the world around them.

And so, we have invited the men of Whosoever Gospel Mission to join with our Grads to form a new ensemble …”Men On A MISSION!” We will rehearse each Wednesday at the Mission, with the goal of making our debut at the Germantown Friends School a cappella fest this coming February.

Stay tuned (get it?) for “Men on a MISSION!“

Bastiaan Slabbers, Newsworks

WHYY’s Newsworks on February 25, 2016 reported: “The Keystone State Boychoir, Pennsylvania Girlchoir, and choirs from several local schools performed ‘The Good Raised Up!,’ at the Johnson House in Germantown last week. The performance is an original work about the Underground Railroad composed by jazz musician John Blake. It is part of The Free Library’s One Book, One Philadelphia celebration this year.

See Newsworks‘ Bastiaan Slabbers’ photo essay on the Newsworks  site.

Dear CY Family and Friends,

What a month December has been for Pennsylvania Girlchoir and Keystone State Boychoir – a thrilling end to 2015!

• ​First ever funding from National Endowment for the Arts
   
• Release of the breathtaking How Can I Keep for Singing? – Pennsylvania Girlchoir’s latest CD
   
• Release of Microsoft Xbox “Halo 5″ including animated film Halo: The Fall of Reach with soundtrack featuring Keystone State Boychoir
   
• Sold out concert at Church of the Holy Trinity for our annual joint PG and KSB Concert on the Square
  
   
• Keystone State Boychoir sings for an audience numbering over 8,000 people in Antofagasta, Chile
  
   

Exactly 6 years ago today, on December 23, 2009, KSB landed in Antarctica and made history! On this sixth anniversary we celebrate all of this month’s accomplishments and anticipate what awaits us in 2016!

In honor of our 15th Anniversary Season, we are aiming to raise $150,000 to support our mission of transforming the lives of every one of our 600 young singers through the power of making music together – one song at a time. I hope you’ll consider helping us reach our goal. You can make a gift online here.

Profound thanks,

Steve Fisher
CY Founder and Artistic Director

P.S.: We’ve decided to go paperless with our Appeal this year. By making a gift online, you’ll be investing in our 600 plus young singers and our environment. Please share your reason for supporting the programs with your Facebook friends and on the Facebook walls of Keystone State Boychoir and Pennsylvania Girlchoir.

Members of Keystone State Boychoir (KSB) and Pennsylvania Girlchoir (PG) traveled to the Fox News studios in New York for an appearance on Fox and Friends on Monday, December 14.

Under the direction of Commonwealth Youthchoirs (CY) Founder and Artistic Director Steve Fisher, they chatted with the show’s hosts, and the ensemble with KSB member Bobby Hill sang “O Holy Night,” which Bobby just released as a single. The singers also did an “After the Show Show” segment where they talked about the choirs and the impact CY has on the community and sang “Deck the Halls.” Watch the two segments (courtesy Fox News):

Bobby Hill singing with Keystone State Boychoir

Bobby Hill,  who stunned the world with his soprano voice at the Festival of Families in the presence of Pope Francis, will perform at two sites visited by the pontiff during his visit last month. Bobby will be joined by fellow members of the Keystone State Boychoir (KSB) and its sister choir, the Pennsylvania Girlchoir (PG).

On Saturday, October 10, 2015 at 7:00pm, Bobby and his fellow choristers will sing for inmates at the Riverside Correctional Facility, 8151 State Road, Philadelphia 19136. “When I saw the pope on TV visiting that prison, I thought it would be cool for my choir to sing for inmates since they need cheering up,” explains 14-year-old Hill.  “But I didn’t think it could ever happen. But then I never thought I would sing for the pope.  He was so nice and even gave me rosaries. So this is a way to thank him, by giving back.”

On Sunday, October 11, 2015 at 2:30pm at the Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter & Paul, Bobby and the choirs will sing at the Children’s Sabbath, an annual ecumenical service focused on the needs of children in our city.  At 2:00pm, Bobby will have the opportunity to meet another celebrity, Sister Mary Scullion of Project HOME, at her now-famed grotto outside the Cathedral. Scullion will be the main speaker at the Children’s Sabbath, which is open to the public.  “I’m so pleased these talented young people have agreed to join me at this event,” says Sister. I was there to hear Bobby sing live that night, and along with the Holy Father and millions of others, was so moved by his singing.   His desire to fill the lives of the less fortunate with the joy of music is even more inspiring.

Bobby Hill singing with Keystone State Boychoir

Two weeks before the pope’s arrival, the Boychoir and Girlchoir were asked to perform at the Parkway concert given in his honor.  What no one knew, including the young singer himself until just five minutes before he walked on stage, was that Bobby would get a once in a lifetime chance to sing a solo for perhaps the most well known, beloved person alive. “There was an unexpected transition and the producers didn’t want the pope to be sitting there looking at a set change,” says Bobby’s choir director Steve Fisher.  “I’m so glad they asked. Bobby’s voice deserves to be heard.” With his talent, as well as his poise in meeting the Holy Father, Bobby has captivated millions of hearts around the globe.

After Bobby sang at the Festival of Families concert on September 26th, emcee Mark Wahlberg hugged Bobby, and then declared, “that is the voice of an angel.” The Hollywood star then went onto to share what  Bobby had whispered in his ear – “I loved you in Ted.”  This prompted a public mea culpa from Wahlberg directly to the Holy Father for making a movie “not appropriate for a boy that age.”

It has been a whirlwind for Bobby and his family since he was thrust – literally – onto the international stage. Accolades and offers have to sing have come in from every continent, including Antarctica, where the Keystone State Boychoir made history in 2009 as the first choir to perform there.  Andrew Lloyd Webber himself has called Bobby’s a cappella rendition of the famed composer’s Pie Jesu “absolutely stunning.”  Webber, one of the most successful musical theatre writers of our time (Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats, Evita, Phantom of the Opera, School of Rock) has offered to accompany Bobby on the piece at a soon-to-be-announced NYC event.

“I’m so proud of Bobby,” says Fisher.  “He’s been offered countless engagements over the last two weeks, and yet the event that has him the most excited is the prison concert. But that’s Bobby. He’s exactly the same today as he was before he walked out on that stage and inspired everyone. He’s a ham for sure.  You’d have to be to do what he did. But he’s got a heart of gold. We’re all proud to know him.”

For media inquiries, please contact Leanne Clancy at lclancy@greenestreetfriends.org.

click the images above to view and download a publication quality version

For Immediate Release
Media Contact:  Leanne Clancy at Lclancy@greenestreetfriends.org or 484-410-9664

PALESTINIAN AND ISRAELI YOUTH CHORUS TO APPEAR AT KIMMEL JUNE 28

(Philadelphia, June 15, 2015) “Transcending conflict through song.” That’s the motto of the Jerusalem Youth Chorus (JYC), an ensemble of Palestinian and Israeli high school students from East and West Jerusalem who not only sing together, but regularly discuss the challenging issues facing their divided region in the hope of being forces for peace. On June 28-29, JYC will be hosted by Pennsylvania Girlchoir (PG) and Keystone State Boychoir (KSB) when it comes to Philadelphia on the final leg of its US Tour.

The visit will include a “dialogue workshop” whereby members of PG and KSB will learn from the members of JYC how to discuss difficult topics in a open, honest, and respectful manner. Rather than focusing on the issues of the Middle East, the workshop will focus on race issues in America. The hope is that the young people of PG and KSB can use the communication skills they develop to be agents of change and peace in their own communities.

The visit includes a joint performance with all three choirs at 7:00pm in the Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday, June 28. The concert will also feature special guests the Al-Bustan Takht Ensemble. Tickets are on sale through the Kimmel Center Box Office at kimmelcenter.org. Premium seats can be obtained through “Peace in the Middle East” Sponsorships at cychoirs.org.

The Pennsylvania Girlchoir and Keystone State Boychoir organization serves over 650 young people between the ages of 4 and 18 throughout Philadelphia and the surrounding communities. Its singers are no strangers to the legacy of peace. KSB toured India with Gandhi’s grandson as well performed in Oslo at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony for Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi. Here at home, PG sang for Malala Yousafzai, Liberty Medal winner and the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner in history. The choirs have travelled the globe, as far north as Svalbard, Norway, the northernmost settlement in the world with a permanent civilian population, and as far south as Antarctica. They are the only choral organization in history to have sung on all seven continents.

(Media can visit our Media Resource page https://cychoirs.org/wordpress/jyc-media for background information, high resolution photos, and more. Please contact Leanne Clancy at Lclancy@greenestreetfriends.org or 484-410-9664 for more information and details on media availabilities during the JYC visit.)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Mariangela Saavedra, msaavedra@cychoirs.org, 215.849.1762

WORLD PREMIERE OF NEW AMERICAN MUSICAL ON 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF CIVIL WAR’S END TO BENEFIT LOCAL YOUTH ARTS PROGRAMS

(Philadelphia – March 13, 2015) 150 years ago, on April 9, 1865, Generals Grant and Lee met at the Appomattox Court House to end the Civil War. On April 9, 2015, Mother B!, a “new old-fashioned American musical,” written in honor of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, will premiere at the Upper Darby Performing Arts Center (UDPAC) in concert version. The event will star Walnut Street Theatre favorite Denise Whelan, include a cast of 16 Philadelphia actors, and feature 200 singers from the Pennsylvania Girlchoir and the Keystone State Boychoir.

Appomattox – April 9, 1865

Written by Philadelphia native Steven Fisher, Mother B! celebrates the remarkable story of Mary Ann Bickerdyke, aka “Mother B.” Remembered as “the Florence Nightingale of the Civil War,” Mother B’s indefatigable service earned her the profound respect of President Lincoln and General Grant, and the gratitude of the entire Union army. She witnessed over 19 battles and set up over 300 field hospitals with innovative approaches to hygiene and soldier care that helped bring medicine out of the dark ages. In doing so, she saved the lives of thousands of soldiers.

Mary Ann Bickerdyke (Mother B)

The musical revolves around Mother B’s friendship with “Little Albert,” a character inspired by the real-life Private Albert Cashier. Cashier was a tremendously brave, hard-fighting soldier who also had a secret: “he” was actually a “she.”  Born Jennie Hodgers, Private Cashier is the only documented female known to have fought the entire Civil War without being found out by authorities during the conflict. In the musical, Mother B discovers Little Albert and helps keep his secret safe. After the war, Albert’s secret is revealed. When the Illinois Soldier’s Home tries to deny him his rights as a veteran, Mother B takes up his cause.

Featuring a rousing, toe-tapping score in the style of the Golden Age musicals of the 1940s and a story that will make you smile, cry and cheer, Mother B! will transport the audience to an epic time that still fascinates, captivates and haunts us to this day. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Pennsylvania Girlchoir and the Keystone State Boychoir, as well as the Upper Darby Performing Arts Center.

Terry and Amy Nolen are honorary co-chairs of the event. They, along with Fisher (and actor/writer Tina Fey) are alumni of the award-winning youth theatre program Summer Stage, which is in residence at UDPAC. The Nolens went on to found one of the country’s most successful regional theatres, the Arden Theatre. Fisher went on to co-found Commonwealth Youthchoirs*. The organization serves over 600 young singers in four different programs, including the Boychoir and Girlchoir.

Fisher’s other musical works include Mandela, which has been developed in New York and in Johannesburg, and will receive a workshop later in 2015 starring Tony-nominee Norm Lewis. His family musical Isabelle and the Pretty-Ugly Spell received a rave review from the New York Times during its New York run and has enjoyed productions around the country.

For Mother B! tickets visit CYChoirs.org/UDPACtickets or call 610-622-1189.

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publication quality images of the Mother B! logo, Denise Whelan, a Civil War era photo of Mother B (source: National Park Service), and a photo of the choirs in concert can be downloaded in a single zip file: https://cychoirs.org/wordpress/images/MotherBGraphics.zip

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*Commonwealth Youthchoirs (CY) nurtures in young people a profound love of singing with four different programs: Pennsylvania Girlchoir, Keystone State Boychoir, Good Mornin’ Music! and Find Your Instrument! Drawing from more than 125 schools, over 600 children from Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties and beyond are involved in CY programs. For more information, visit www.cychoirs.org.