Our Boys in the Philadelphia Boys Choir are Whiz Kids

Editor's note: This is a weekly series in which we will highlight the special accomplishments of neighborhood kids or teenagers.

Each week, we will seek suggestions from readers for individual kids, youth groups, teens and even sports teams that wow us with their accomplishments. We want to hear about these amazing children and teens and select one each week as our Whiz Kid.  Submit your nomination in our comment box below or e-mail the information to eric.campbell@patch.com.

This week's Patch Whiz Kids: Alex Barnett, 12, Gabriel Krotkov, 12, Lucas Scott, 12, and Kevin Wong, 13

School: At , Kevin is in eighth grade, Lucas and Alex are in seventh and Gabriel is in sixth.

Accomplishment: The boys are members of the Philadelphia Boys Choir & Chorale, which sang at Citizens Bank Park for the Phillies' season opener. 

Key to awesomeness: They've all been in the choir at least a year (Kevin's been in for four years) and sang at last year's home opener, too, as well as at the National League Championship Series, so they don't get easily nervous, even in front of 45,000 people.

"It's a small performance," Gabriel said in an e-mail interview. "We go out there, we sing two songs, we go into the stands, we watch. It was probably the biggest crowd we ever perform live for, but it just doesn't make you nervous." 

"It was fun," said Kevin, whose favorite choir performance was a winter concert at the University of Pennsylvania in 2008. "The jets were loud, though."

Lucas's favorite performance was last year's home opener, his first gig with the choir: "Performing on Opening Day is awesome and a huge honor."

Gabriel liked singing in Chinese when the choir traveled to the Middle Kingdom. For Alex, it was Carnegie Hall.

One performance they didn't get to see was the Phillies' late-inning comeback on Opening Day.

"We had to leave in the 7th inning, thats what we always have to do," Alex said. "It's kind of a bummer, especially with this game."