National Youth Choir Makes it to Carnegie Hall

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The Bahamas National Youth Choir takes it to the big apple. Members of the choir and several teachers took their talents to New York City’s Carnegie Hall to perform classical and baroque pieces.

Our Jean Joseph catches up with Senior Cultural Affairs Officer and Organizing Secretary of The E. Clement Bethel National Arts Festival Sonovia Pierre to find out more.

Our National Youth Choir members and a number of teachers recently joined other ensembles for a performance at New York City’s Carnegie Hall. This, all a part of MidAmerica Productions’ 39th anniversary season.

Pierre says choir is the only international group in the event.

Vandercook College of Music’s Dr. Robert Sinclair, a choral expert and educator, has led choirs in Australia, Canada, Japan and The Bahamas, in addition to all-state choirs in Illinois and Wisconsin prior to this project. He shares his excitement to be able to continue working with Bahamian singers.

The Bahamas National Youth Choir has been in existence since 1983, commissioned as part of the 10th anniversary of Bahamian independence celebrations.

Hundreds of young people have passed through the choir’s program since its inception receiving opportunities for self-growth, development and training, that creates responsible and confident citizens.

The choir has sung in twenty languages, produced nine commercial recordings, traveled to seventeen countries on four continents, and they have researched and documented much of the folk music of The Bahamas.