SAINT JOHNS BOYS CHOIR

THE ST. JOHN'S BOYS' CHOIR WAS FOUNDED IN 1981 BY BROTHER PAUL RICHARDS AND THE MONKS OF ST. JOHN'S ABBEY. THE CHOIR WAS FORMED TO GIVE BOYS OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA THE OPPORTUNITY TO SING WITH A WELL TRAINED BOYS' CHOIR AND TO EXPERIENCE TOURING AND THE BENEFITS OF LEARNING ABOUT MUSIC WITH OTHER BOYS WHO SHARE A COMMON INTEREST. SINCE THAT TIME THE CHOIR HAS GROWN TO INCLUDE FOUR DIVISIONS: THE VARSITY CHOIR, JUNIOR VARSITY CHOIR, THE TRAINING CHOIR, AND THE NOVA VOCE CHOIR. ON MAY 12, 1993, THE CHOIR BECAME SELF-INCORPORATED AND FORMED A BOARD OF DIRECTORS WHICH SERVES AS THE GOVERNING BODY. AT THE PRESENT TIME THE ORGANIZATION HAS 6 EMPLOYEES, 1 FULL-TIME AND 5 PART-TIME. THE ST. JOHN'S BOYS' CHOIR OFFERS AN ENRICHING EXPERIENCE IN MUSIC EDUCATION WITH AN EMPHASIS IN VOCAL MUSIC, AS WELL AS THE SOCIALIZING EXPERIENCE OF SHARED ENTERPRISE, CULTURAL AWARENESS, AND TOURING FOR BOYS AGES 8-15. THE CHOIR PROMOTES VOCAL MUSIC EDUCATION IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND OFFERS THE UNIQUE EXPERIENCE OF A WELL TRAINED BOYS' CHOIR TO ITS AUDIENCE. THE ST. JOHN'S BOYS' CHOIR ADMITS BOYS OF ALL RACES, COLOR, CREED, AND ECONOMIC BACKGROUND.AT THE PRESENT TIME THERE ARE SEVENTY-EIGHT CHOIR MEMBERS ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAM (INCLUDING JV CHOIR, VARSITY CHOIR, NOVA VOCE - TRAINING CHOIR ISN'T ESTABLISHED UNTIL FEBRUARY) THAT MEET TWICE A WEEK FOR TWO HOURS TO LEARN PROPER BREATHING, MUSIC LITERACY, SOLFEGE, PERFORMANCE ETIQUETTE, EAR AND VOICE TRAINING, AND HAVE PIANO LESSONS. THEY PERFORM APPROXIMATELY FIFTY CONCERTS PER YEAR WHICH INCLUDE SACRED, SECULAR, CLASSICAL, FOLK, AND BROADWAY MUSIC, AND COLLABORATE WITH LOCAL MUSICIANS, ORCHESTRAS, CHORAL GROUPS, CHILDREN'S CHOIRS, AND NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED ORGANIZATIONS. IN ADDITION, OUR ORGANIZATION CONDUCTS MUSIC CAMPS, FESTIVALS, AND SCHOOL RESIDENCIES.APPROXIMATELY 18,000 - 20,000 PEOPLE ATTEND PERFORMANCES IN A SINGLE SEASON AND ANOTHER 150 ATTEND CAMPS, WORKSHOPS, AND COLLABORATIONS CONDUCTED BY THE CHOIR THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. OUR AUDIENCE INCLUDES ALL AGES AND PEOPLE WITH ALL LEVELS OF MUSIC SOPHISTICATION. WE MAKE AN EXTRA EFFORT TO INCLUDE PROGRAMMING FOR SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN AND PERFORM CONCERTS OR PROVIDE FREE TICKETS TO THE ELDERLY.