August 4, 2004
New York Times
When Francisco J. Núñez founded the Young People's Chorus of New York City in 1988, he had several passionate convictions. First, that if he could just coax urban children of different racial, economic and religious backgrounds into working together, barriers would fall and the youngsters would realize how much they had in common. He was also convinced that with proper training children could be excellent and enthusiastic musicians, and that singing choral music, of all things, could be cool.
That he has met his goals was clear Thursday when some three dozen of his choristers met in the basement of Manhattan Church of Christ on the East Side to prepare a performance for the reopening ceremony this morning of the Statue of Liberty, which has been closed to the public since 9/11. African-American choristers from Harlem, Dominicans from Washington Heights, Jewish youngsters from the Upper East Side, Roman Catholics from Greenwich Village and other diverse young New Yorkers all greeted one another with uncommonly ardent squeals and hugs, since they typically do not meet during the midsummer weeks.
In 15 years the Young People's Chorus of New York City, the resident choir of the 92nd Street Y, has grown from a small group of musically untrained children in a fledgling after-school program to a skilled ensemble of some 250 choristers ranging in age from 12 to 18 in five divisions that have won international prizes, the respect of critics and the gratitude of the many commissioned composers who have written challenging works for them. More
Posted by acapnews at August 4, 2004 7:44 AM
