Spring Break
Seasons greetings from Harlem
Janet Pak
Daily Staff Writer
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Walter Turnbull, founder and artistic director of the choir, said people can expect to hear a full range of voices from the group.
The choir will perform a range of Christmas favorites, including "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire" and "Let It Snow," Turnbull said Wednesday in a phone interview from New York.
"It's a very joyous time of the year, and we enjoy sharing our music with everybody," Turnbull said.
Boys in the choir range from age 10 to the high school level, and they audition from all over New York City, he said.
The members join at different times and can stay until they reach the high school age.
Turnbull also said it's not just a choir for the boys, but it's a full academic school called The Choir Academy of Harlem that provides tutoring and counseling.
The Choir Academy is home to 560 boys and girls and is unique because it uses changed voices, which are voices that have dropped lower or higher, he said.
Turnbull said the trick to working with voices that vary with age is to give the correct exercises.
Members sing all ranges from soprano, alto and bass, Turnbull said.
Aside from holiday favorites, classical sounds such as Bach and spirituals will be heard, he said. In past performances, the choir has also performed various positive hip-hop sounds they have written themselves, Turnbull said.
Turnbull has been with the choir for 34 years.
While the group has performed in major concert halls around North America, such as Carnegie Hall and Roy Thompson Hall in Canada, Turnbull said the Flint Center is a fine hall and they look forward to a good sound at the show.
According to the group's Web site, the program evolved from their mission and vision of raising children. It builds on the African philosophy of "it takes a whole village to raise a child," the site said. The Choir Academy stresses basic values, discipline, hard work and cooperation in the children's lives.
The choir will perform today at 8 p.m. at the Flint Center in Cupertino.
Tickets range from $20 to $45.
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