The Boston Archdiocesan Choir School (BACS) is a fully-accredited choir school for boys in grades 5-8 and is affiliated with St. Paul Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school is one of a small number of boychoir schools in North America, and is the only one affiliated with the Catholic Church. Its performing arm, the Boston Boy Choir, sings for liturgical services at the church and performs within the Boston area and elsewhere. Maroon is a color related to dark red. ... This article contains a list of choir schools sorted alphabetically by countries. ... Location in Middlesex County in Massachusetts Coordinates: , Country State County Middlesex Settled 1630 Incorporated 1636 Government  - Type Mayor-City Council  - Mayor Kenneth Reeves (D) Area  - Total 7. ... Catholic Church redirects here. ...

Visitors to Harvard Square, especially Roman Catholics or choir boy fans, often stop at St. Paul for Sunday Mass to hear the boys. The pastor has been heard to jest that only the locals know that St. Paul Parish serves the students of Harvard. The rest of the world knows St. Paul's as the "Home of the Boston Boy Choir." Chess players in Harvard Square in August of 2005 Harvard Square is a large triangular area in the center of Cambridge, Massachusetts, at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue, Brattle Street, and John F. Kennedy Street. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Harvard redirects here. ...

History

BACS was founded by Theodore Marier, the result of decades of work spent renewing the liturgical and musical traditions at St. Paul.^[1] Dr. Marier had been affiliated with music at St. Paul Parish since 1934 and, about the same time he was taking over the choir, the pastor at the time, Msgr. Hickey, was inspired by the papal encyclical Mediator Dei to encourage congregational participation. This was unusual in a time when the choir or altar boys gave all the responses. It was Marier's experience that the Gregorian Chant was ideally suited both to congregational singing and for musical nourishment. Gradually, the parish developed the habit of singing the Ordinary of the Mass (Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei). In 1958, the Vatican's Instruction on Sacred Music and Sacred Liturgy continued the directive that every parish should have a boys choir but especially encouraged that "every effort must be made that the faithful of the entire world know how to give the responses in chant." This article does not cite any references or sources. ... An encyclical was a circular letter sent to all the churches of a particular area in the ancient Christian church. ... Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic, unaccompanied sacred song of the Roman Catholic Church. ... The Ordinary of the Mass (Latin: Ordo Missae) is the set of texts of the Roman Catholic Church Latin Rite Mass that are generally invariable. ... Kyrie is the vocative case of the Greek word κύριος (kyrios - lord) and means O Lord; it is the common name of an important prayer of Christian liturgy, also called Kyrie eleison which is Greek for Lord, have mercy. ... Gloria in Excelsis Deo (Latin for Glory to God in the highest) is the title and beginning of the Great Doxology used in the Roman Catholic Mass, Divine Service of the Lutheran Church and in the services of many other [1] Christian churches. ... The credo (Latin for I believe; pronounced ) is a statement of religious belief, such as the Nicene Creed (or, less often, another creed, such as the Apostles Creed). ... Sanctus is the Latin word for holy, and is the name of an important hymn of Christian liturgy. ... A lamb holding a Christian banner is a typical symbol for Agnus Dei. ...

The St. Paul's Choir School, as it was originally called, began in 1963 with twenty-five students chosen from throughout the archdiocese. Under the direction of Dr. Marier, the young musicians sang in the parish choir with members of the Harvard Catholic Club. Harvard students also helped out with the recreation program. The school was designed as a four-year course for students of academic ability and musical talent, assigning two periods of each school day to music, plus an hour after school. The music program included sight reading, tone placement, appreciation, theory and history, and instrumental studies.

The first years of what was later renamed the Boston Archdiocesan Choir School were extraordinary. The choir made guest appearances with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Hall and at Tanglewood, with the Boston Philharmonic, and with the Handel and Haydn Society. They performed annually with the Boston Ballet in the Nutcracker Suite, with Arthur Fiedler conducting. The Boston Symphony Orchestra is one of the worlds premiere orchestras. ... The Boston Philharmonic Orchestra (not to be confused with the Boston Symphony Orchestra) is a semi-professional orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. ... The Handel and Haydn Society is a choral society in the city of Boston, Massachusetts. ... The Boston Ballet is a professional ballet company based in Boston, Massachusetts. ... A performance of The Nutcracker The story of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King was written by E. T. A. Hoffmann. ... Arthur Fiedler (December 17, 1894 – July 10, 1979) was the long-time conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra, a symphony orchestra that specialized in popular music. ...

When the choir school began, it was housed in the building that had been the parish school in a building that was built in 1891. By the 1960's, however, St. Paul School had been experiencing declining enrollment as more families moved out of Cambridge to the suburbs. After several more years, the parish school closed and the choir school remained in the space. Eventually that building was torn down after being declared unsafe.^[2] Since 1991, the school has operated in a newly-built 4-story multipurpose building on the same location as the old school. The current building houses the St. Paul's rectory, parish offices, and the Harvard Catholic Student Association in addition to BACS.^[3] The new building project was somewhat controversial at the time, raising opposition from parishioners and community activists who wanted affordable housing development on other property that was being sold to finance construction. The property was instead sold to Harvard. Year 1891 (MDCCCXCI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Harvard redirects here. ...

Dr. Marier was succeeded as director by John Dunn, who has taught at the school since it was founded.^[4]

Mission

The Boston Archdiocesan Choir School at St. Paul Church, Cambridge, a musically intensive, academically rigorous, Catholic day school for boys in grades five through eight, strives to engage young men in the development of their intellectual and musical talents and to inspire them to use their gifts for the greater glory of God.

Unique in the United States, the school identifies and accepts from the greater Boston area, boys who are musically talented and academically qualified. In the context of a Catholic environment, students are offered an intensive musical training, a varied academic program, and a solid moral, spiritual formation.

The school seeks to develop the diverse musical talents of each boy so that he may use his musical gifts for the greater glory of God, enriching the liturgical services at St. Paul Church and serving the community at large by the performance of master works of choral literature.

Through diverse academic offerings, the school aspires to give each student a strong foundation in basic skills and to provide multiple opportunities for enrichment, so that BACS graduates may continue their formation in secondary schools recognized for their academic excellence.

Caring, dedicated teachers who model Christian values strive in a small and personal school community to foster the moral, ethical, and spiritual growth of each student in order to define his relationship to God, to encourage a genuine understanding and respect of others, and to develop a strong sense of commitment and service to both individuals and communities.

Accreditation

BACS became fully accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges in 2007. The visiting committee was impressed with the unique atmosphere at BACS where music is so tightly integrated into the curriculum. Their report states: Accredition organization in New England. ...

"It was observed that [BACS] is a tight-knit, exuberant school community where music is the centerpiece, and joyful learning is evident in each person and in every aspect of the program. There is an informal, lively atmosphere surrounding the intense learning that is in progress."

"[BACS]'s program is values-based and sets goals of spiritual formation, excellence, responsibility, and service to others. By modeling these values and living their meaning in the daily life of the school, teachers and administrators motivate students to embrace the same values in their own lives and carry them to other communities whom they touch."

School Life Today

Students at BACS attend school full-time, completing a rigorous academic program in addition to daily rehearsals and singing at liturgy four times a week. Students have a tuition-less "working scholarship", singing at weddings, funerals and concerts throughout the school year.^[4] The busiest times of the year for the choir are Christmas and Easter. All students at BACS study mathematics, science, computers, language arts, social studies, religion, geography, French and art. The upper grades are taught a combined history and literature class, which is unusual for such young students and was modeled after an undergraduate course at Harvard. In addition to these academic subjects, students have classes in music, choir, recorder, piano and handbells. In order to accommodate the extensive curriculum, students at BACS have a longer school day. There are no school sports teams, but students have physical education once a week and nearly every student participates in sports outside of school. Periodic travel for the choir combining educational sightseeing and performing is a tradition at BACS. Over the years, the boys have visited cities such as Chicago, Montreal, Washington, DC, and Rome. While in Rome in 2005, the choir sang at a Mass at St. Peter's Basilica and at the Church of Santa Susanna. The choir has sung at Mass on multiple occasions at the Basilica of the National Shrine in Washington, DC, most recently in 2007. Another tradition at BACS is the choir's signature choral piece, "A Gaelic Blessing" by John Rutter, which is always sung at important moments for the choir, such as the investiture ceremony for incoming 5th graders and 8th grade graduation. Parents are actively involved in the life of the school; nearly 100% of families are represented at each month's Parent Guild meeting. A handbell is a bell designed to be rung by hand. ... For other uses, see Chicago (disambiguation). ... Nickname: Motto: Concordia Salus (well-being through harmony) Coordinates: , Country Province Region Montréal Founded 1642 Established 1832 Government  - Mayor Gérald Tremblay Area [1][2][3]  - City 365. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United... For other uses, see Rome (disambiguation). ... The Basilica of Saint Peter (Latin: ), officially known in Italian as the Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano and commonly known as St. ... Baroque façade of Santa Susanna, by Carlo Maderno (1603). ... // View of the east side of the basilica. ... A Gaelic Blessing by John Rutter is an SATB choral piece written as a parting gift for a much-loved choir director. ... John Milford Rutter CBE (born September 24, 1945)) is an English composer, choral conductor, editor, arranger and record producer. ...

Students and Faculty

There are 57 students at BACS this year. New students are accepted only in 5th grade and are chosen by audition. Students commute to Harvard Square from various cities and towns throughout the greater Boston area, sometimes traveling more than an hour each way. Most students at BACS are Roman Catholic and many previously attended parochial schools, but there are also non-Catholic students. The faculty includes the headmaster/music director, the assistant music director, the principal (who also teaches) and several piano teachers, in addition to those who teach regular academic subjects. The faculty roster is listed below:

ADMINISTRATION
Rev. Robert J. Congdon Pastor, St. Paul Parish
John Dunn Headmaster & Music Director
Jennine Zito Principal
Rev. James Savage, Chaplain
Jennifer Lester. Associate Music Director
Patricia Cristina, Office Manager/Director of Marketing
Patricia McGuirk, Development Associate

FACULTY
Margaret Angelini MMus, BMus, Piano
Sheila Beardslee MM, BA, Recorder
Libor Dudas DMA, MM, Piano
John Dunn MMus, AB, Music, Organ
Sheri Kenney BA, MEd, French, Language Arts
Bill McIvor MEd, BS, Mathematics, Geography
Jennifer Lester MMus, BM, Music, Handbells
Brian C. Moll MMus, BA, Piano
Sr. Jean Morris, CDP MEd, BS, Religion, Mathematics
Mirian Raiken-Kolb BA, Piano
Eugene Schmidt MAT, MPH, BS, Mathematics and Science
Barbara Yeoman MFA, AB, Language Arts, History, Literature, Art
Jennine Zito MEd, BA, Social Studies and Study Skills for Gr.5

Auditions

In order to enroll at BACS, students must be screened both musically and academically. Auditions take place in one of two ways. The headmaster has relationships with several parochial schools in the Boston area and makes annual spring visits to listen to and observe the 4th grade boys. The parents of any boys who appear to be good candidates are then invited to bring their sons in for a private audition. Parents can also request a private audition on their own. The audition mainly consists of singing Row, Row, Row Your Boat, singing different pitches, and marching to various rhythms. Students who pass this screening are then given a reading test. Students must test a full year ahead of grade level in order to handle the rigorous academics expected of students at BACS. In any given year, between 10 and 20 boys are selected for the incoming 5th grade class. It should be noted that, while all students become choristers, most had never been identified as singers before. In fact, a child who is considered a singing "star" may not be a good candidate; choir singing requires teamwork. The ideal candidate is one who is musical, can handle the workload and who is willing to be part of a team effort. Row, Row, Row Your Boat is an English nursery rhyme, and a popular childrens song/proverb, often sung as a round. ...

Performances and Recordings

The Boston Boy Choir performs at various times throughout the school year and on rare occasions in the summer. The choir sings at 4 weekday morning masses and on Sundays. There are three annual Christmas concerts for the public in addition to Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services. At Easter, the choir performs at services throughout Holy Week, including the Easter Vigil. The last major performance of the year is the annual Spring Concert. All of these are performed at St. Paul Church and, except for the weekday masses, include the St. Paul Men's Schola. The concerts also include orchestral accompaniment and guest soloists and performances by a select group of students who make up the BACS Handbell Choir. In addition, the Boston Boy Choir is hired to perform at various times for weddings, funerals, private parties and concerts at other venues. In 2006, the choir performed a concert of Christmas music for CatholicTV and over the years they have recorded a series of CDs which are available for purchase at concerts. The Easter Vigil, also called the Paschal Vigil or the Great Vigil of Easter, is a service held in many Christian churches as the first official celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus. ... Schola Cantorum founded in 1894 in France by Vincent dIndy, was devoted to early music, and was an alternative to the Paris Conservatoire. ... CatholicTV is a television and on-line provider that broadcasts and distributes Catholic religious programming, via cable, satellite and the Internet. ...

Prominent Performances

With the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Tanglewood Festival Chorus: The Boston Symphony Orchestra is one of the worlds premiere orchestras. ... The Tanglewood Festival Chorus is a choir which performs with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston Pops in major choral works. ...

• Berlioz's The Damnation of Faust at Carnegie Hall^[5] and Symphony Hall, Boston^[6]
• Bach's St. Matthew Passion at Tanglewood^[7]

With the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Hall, Boston: Lithograph of Berlioz by August Prinzhofer, Vienna, 1845. ... The Damnation of Faust (French: La damnation de Faust) is work for orchestra, voices, and chorus written by Hector Berlioz (he called it a légende dramatique). The libretto was adapted by Berlioz from Goethes Faust. ... Carnegie Hall (generally pronounced )[3] is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street. ... Symphony Hall in Boston, Massachusetts is widely considered to be one of the two or three finest concert halls in the world, alongside Amsterdams Concertgebouw and Viennas Grosser Musikvereinssaal. ... “Bach” redirects here. ... This aritcle does not cite any references or sources. ... Tanglewood Music Shed and lawn. ... The Boston Symphony Orchestra is one of the worlds premiere orchestras. ... Symphony Hall in Boston, Massachusetts is widely considered to be one of the two or three finest concert halls in the world, alongside Amsterdams Concertgebouw and Viennas Grosser Musikvereinssaal. ...

• Mahler's Symphony No. 8
• Honegger's Joan of Arc at the Stake
• Puccini's Tosca
• Orff's Carmina Burana

With the Opera Company of Boston at Boston Opera House: Mahler redirects here. ... The Symphony No. ... Arthur Honegger in 1921. ... Jeanne dArc au Bûcher is an oratorio by Arthur Honegger originally commissioned by Ida Rubinstein. ... Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini (December 22, 1858 – November 29, 1924) was an Italian composer whose operas, including La bohème, Tosca, and Madama Butterfly, are among the most frequently performed in the standard repertoire. ... For other uses, see Tosca (disambiguation). ... Carl Orff Carl Orff (July 10, 1895) – March 29, 1982) was a 20th-century German composer, most famous for Carmina Burana (1937). ... This article is about Carl Orffs musical composition based on the medieval collection of poems. ... The Opera Company of Boston was founded by the American conductor Sarah Caldwell in Boston, Massachusetts in 1958. ... The first Boston Opera House was built in 1901 on Huntington Ave. ...

• Mozart's The Magic Flute

With the Back Bay Chorale: “Mozart” redirects here. ... Die Zauberflöte, K. 620, (en: The Magic Flute) is an opera in two acts composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. ...

• Bach's St. Matthew Passion at Sanders Theater,

At the Maryland State Boychoir Festival: “Bach” redirects here. ... This aritcle does not cite any references or sources. ... Sanders Theater or Sanders Theatre is the premiere lecture and concert hall at Harvard University. ...

• Mendelssohn's Laudate Pueri at Goucher College^[8]

Portrait of Mendelssohn by the English miniaturist James Warren Childe (1778-1862), 1839 Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, born and generally known as Felix Mendelssohn (February 3, 1809 – November 4, 1847) is a German composer, pianist and conductor of the early Romantic period. ... Goucher redirects here. ...

Recordings

• Mahler's Symphony No. 8 (Ozawa/Boston Symphony Orchestra/Robinson, Blegen et al./Philips) (in Philips #470871)
• Berlioz's The Damnation of Faust (Ozawa/Boston Symphony Orchestra/Mathis, Burrows et al./Deutsche Grammophon) (#423 907-2, #453 019-2)

BACS Recordings: Mahler redirects here. ... The Symphony No. ... Lithograph of Berlioz by August Prinzhofer, Vienna, 1845. ... The Damnation of Faust (French: La damnation de Faust) is work for orchestra, voices, and chorus written by Hector Berlioz (he called it a légende dramatique). The libretto was adapted by Berlioz from Goethes Faust. ...

• O Holy Night (BACS Recordings BR-192, CD) 1992. Boston Boy Choir with the Saint Paul Men's Schola and the BACS Handbell Choir, John Dunn (director), Timothy Hughes (organist), Mark Nemeskal (tenor)
• Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee (BACS Recordings BR-193, CD) 1993. Music for Choir, Organ, Trumpet and Handbells. Boston Boy Choir, John Dunn (director), Timothy Hughes (organist)
• Sing Noel (BACS Recordings BR-194, CD) 1994. Boston Boy Choir with The Saint Paul Men's Schola and Beacon Brass, John Dunn (director), Timothy Hughes (organist)
• Wondrous Love (BACS Recordings BR-196, CD) 1996. Celebrating Music of the Liturgical Year. Boston Boy Choir with John Dunn (director), Timothy Hughes (organist) with handbells, strings & brass
• On Christmas Night (BACS Recordings, CD) 2000. Comemorating the new Melenium, the Boston Boy Choir, John Dunn, director, presents this recording of traditional Christmas music. The recording features the Boston Boy Choir, the Beacon Brass, and the BACS Handbell Choir.
• The Holly and The Ivy (BACS Recordings, CD) 2007. In honor of 45 years of excellence, John Dunn leads the Boston Boy Choir for his final year as Headmaster/Music Director. This recording also features the world reknowed Christmas Cantata by Daniel Pinkham.

All recordings can be purchased via the Boston Boy Choir website: www.bostonboychoir.org O Holy Night (Cantique de Noël) is a well-known Christmas carol composed by Adolphe Adam in 1847 to the French poem Minuit, chrétiens by Placide Cappeau (1808-1877), an accomplished amateur. ...

References

is the 160th day of the year (161st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 81st day of the year (82nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year 1987. ... is the 306th day of the year (307th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar. ... is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Jimi Hendrix song, see 1983. ... is the 22nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Jimi Hendrix song, see 1983. ... is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 135th day of the year (136th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...

External links

• Boston Boy Choir website
• St. Paul Church website
• Boychoir & Soloist Directory