Philadelphia Boys and Girls Choirs belt their hearts out for the holidays
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- On Spring Garden Street in Philadelphia, one building reverberates from the sound of two choirs. The Philadelphia Boys Choir & Chorale dates back to the 1960s, while its sister, the Philadelphia Girls Choir, celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.
"Both choirs are rehearsing under the same roof and preparing for these big holiday concerts to share in the Philadelphia community," said Nathan Wadley, Musical Director of Philadelphia Girls Choir.
The choirs rehearse throughout the year and look forward to seasonal performances. Some singers also accompany the Philly Pops and the Philadelphia Ballet. They even travel around the country or abroad to perform for audiences in Greece, China, and more.
But the beloved winter concerts have had their curtains curtailed during the last few years.
"Since COVID, we haven't really been able to do one really big holiday concert," said Laura Harmon, Associate Director of the Philadelphia Girls Choir. "It'll be our first really big one since then that's open to the public, that's very high energy, and shares a lot of music that they really enjoy singing."
This holiday season, both choirs are looking forward to four landmark showcases that will take place next weekend.
The Philadelphia Boys Choir & Chorale Winter Concert will be held Friday, December 16, 2022 at 8:00pm at Saint Rose of Lima, Haddon Heights, NJ, and Sunday, December 18, 2022 at 8:00pm at Church of the Holy Trinity in Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square.
The Philadelphia Girls Choir's "Sounds of the Season" will take place December 17 at 7:00pm at Investors Bank Performing Arts Center in Sewell, NJ, and December 18 at 5:00pm at Temple Performing Arts Center in Philadelphia.
The Boys Choir's Artistic Director, Jeffrey R. Smith, is excited for their show to get on the road.
"I sang with the choir as a boy. I started around eight years old," he said. "But it's really cool to see these boys going through the same things that I went through and to lead them through this."
To learn more about the choirs and upcoming performances, visit their website.
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