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[bacasper]

It is unfortunate that this landmark choir had to go.

The Death of A Choir Hurts Us All

by: Nancy Roberts

This week The New York Times reported the official demise of the Boys Choir of Harlem, an amazing organization that during its more than three decades of existence brought together boys (and, beginning in 1988, girls) from the toughest urban neighborhoods in New York and made them into a polished, versatile, world-renowned singing ensemble. The choir's founder, Walter Turnbull, started the choir with 20 boys in a church basement in 1968.

In ensuing years, the Choir performed for presidents, popes and delighted audiences around the world. President Clinton awarded them the National Medal for the Arts, and the Choir sang on multiple film scores and TV appearances. Their last performance came in 2007, as the organization was hit with financial and management problems, including accusations that management covered up accusations of abuse by a choral staffer brought by a young singer. Dr. Turnbull died in 2007 at the age of 62. This month's official closing announcement came as no surprise. A group of the Choir's alumni were unable to save the current organization from the weight of debt and lawsuits, but hope to continue the mission in a different entity.

A 1989 60 Minutes segment brought even greater recognition to the Choir. When reporter Morley Safer asked Walter Turnbull how the Choir's members differed from the kids in trouble that were so often featured in the news, Turnbull replied, "My kids are no different. They come from the same projects. They come from the same kinds of families. The difference is that there is somebody here willing to do something for them, and they are willing to do something. There is an opportunity here."

The Times quotes one 25-year-old alumnus explaining that the choir experience was about "understanding how to balance everything in our lives, about how you become a global citizen." The hardest thing, he said, "is that I had that opportunity, and now there's another kid in a public school in Harlem who doesn't."

The demise of any chorus is a sad thing. Choral singing is an extraordinary builder of character and community. and it is the most popular form of participation in the performing arts in the U.S. for both adults and children. According to Chorus America, 32.5 million adults regularly sing in choruses, as do over 10 million children. Beyond the beauty of singing, choral participation is strongly correlated with such positive attributes as civic involvement, discipline and teamwork.

[lifeinkorea]

The US as a whole is lacking in the Arts. It would be better to channel the money for better things like music education in the classroom nationwide. We don't need to give 100% to a small community when only 2 or 3 percent will actually make a future in music. Instead, we should be dividing up that money and funding teachers nationwide to provide 30-60 minute programs a month for schools.

[rocket_scientist]