St. Barnabas Episcopal to Host Renowned North Carolina Boys Concert Choir

This month, in Annandale will play host to the celebrated North Carolina Boys Concert Choir on Saturday, Jun. 25 at 5 p.m. in the church nave.

The choir, which is the only full-time choir in the southeast and one of only two boys choirs in the nation to be designated as an official state boys choir, will also perform at the church’s 10:15 a.m. service on Sunday, Jun. 26.

The Annandale concert and service will be the only public appearances by the choir in the Washington, D.C. region.

“St. Barnabas Music Ministries hosts two special musical events each year,” said Minister of Music David K. Snyder. “We offer these free to our community and use any funds raised to defray the event costs and help offer additional musical events.”

A potluck dinner, which is open to the public at no charge, will be held in the parish hall immediately following the performance on Jun. 25. Guests are invited to bring a side dish to the potluck and St. Barnabas will also collect donations.

The choir includes boys’ ages nine to 15 that sing a wide range of songs from Bach and Mozart to simple ballads or a Strauss polka in several languages. The 100-member organization supports four choirs; a training choir for younger boys, the concert choir, which is the touring ensemble featured on the annual June tour, a chamber choir which includes young men and adult tenors and basses and a newly formed girls choir created in April of this year.

According to the group’s website, the choir was founded in 1972 by Dr. William Graham who still serves as the group’s full-time musical director.

The choir has a full schedule throughout the year, including two major performances annually at Duke Chapel, periodic television appearances and shows with the North Carolina Symphony, as well as several university choirs. They traditionally perform in the Duke Chapel Service of Worship on the Sunday before Christmas.

“The tours are designed, however, to take the boys and the name of the state across parts of the U.S., Canada, and even Europe to perform, share their talent, and expose others to the boy choir art form,” said Scott Mann, the North Carolina Boys Choir associate director and organist.

Following their Annandale performances and a scheduled private show at the Knollwood Military Retirement Residence in Washington, D.C., the choir will continue their tour in New Jersey and New York with breaks for sightseeing, according to Mann.

To learn more about the choir, you can hear past performances on their website or view them on YouTube.