Boys & Girls Choir of Memphis to visit local church

The Boys and Girls Choir of Memphis will sing at worship services at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church on the weekend of May 26 & 27. The Memphis Youth Performing Arts Company (MYPAC), also known as The Boys and Girls Choir of Memphis, was founded by Fleming Ivory in August of 2004. Their mission is to use arts education to change the lives of young people by promoting community, social, and cultural awareness. The choir, made up of children ages 7-18, performs many styles of music, such as spirituals, jazz, gospels, blues, rock, funk, and much more. Their children stand as ambassadors for Memphis nationally and internationally through our Cultural Connections to other cities and countries, such as Atlanta, Detroit, New York, St. Louis, England, Jamaica, and Canada.

Founder and director Fleming Ivory says that one of the missions of the choir is to help young people stay out of the streets, and to use arts to change and make a difference in people’s lives. Says a teenage member of the choir: “We are all about unity. That’s my favorite thing about the choir. The whole choir, we’re all like a big family. The reason the choir is special to me is because it gives me a chance to be different, to show the world that I have gifts that not everybody has. And it shows people that no matter how smart you are, or how old you are, you can always achieve that dream…MYPAC to me is about embracing who you are as a person and learning from what you have done to become better, and it gives you a chance to grow all the time.”

Worship services are Saturday, May 26, 5:00 pm; and Sunday, May 27 at 9:00 and 10:30 am. Gloria Dei is located at 4501 Main Street, Downers Grove, IL. www.gloriadeichurch.org.