I will never forget the first time I attended a Philadelphia Boys Choir and Chorale concert. It was a stifling day last June. There had been traffic; I was annoyed; my legs were sticky — when all of a sudden the choir was singing I’ll Be There by the Jackson 5 and Jayden Hubbard, a soft-cheeked boy the tender age of 11 stepped forward to confidently belt out his solo with the ease of the sun setting in the summer sky.
I was transported to another time and place entirely. His voice lifted me. By the time Hubbard sang, “Just call my name … and I’ll be there,” there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Hubbard’s voice and all the boys’ voices in unison were so pure, so full of love, it felt like magic. Goosebumps. Everyone had goosebumps.
In a world that seems to get more digitized every minute, where adults and kids are constantly glued to some kind of screen, it is truly refreshing to hear something as pure as the voices of children singing.
If you’ve never heard the Philly Boys Choir in concert, I urge you to buy tickets right now for their June 14 concert. Not just because my son is in the choir (he is), but because hearing young kids sing is life-affirming; it’s beauty personified; it’s hope for humanity. You can’t help but walk away from a Philly Boys Concert and feel — no matter what the state the world might be or how stressful your life is — that everything is going to be alright. Kids are singing. Music is being made. Life is beautiful.
A choir grows in Philadelphia
The Philadelphia Boys Choir and Chorale (PBCC) is considered one of the best, most elite boys choirs in the country. Founded in 1961 at Frankford High School, the PBCC came under the direction of Dr. Robert G. Hamilton from 1968 to 2000 — 37 years. He formed the choir into what it is today. Nearly 90, Hamilton still returns every spring to conduct at least one song. He may be small, but his power is mighty. A roaring applause always accompanies him as he takes the stage.
Today, PBCC is under the direction of Jeffrey R. Smith, an alumnus of both the Choir and the Chorale. Smith became artistic director and conductor in 2004, currently celebrating his 20th year. John Stroud, a highly sought after choral conductor and music instructor throughout the Delaware Valley, serves as associate music director. He trains the newest members of the choir, the youngest group of boys, called the Cadets. He is also a proud PBCC alum.
This past November, PBCC stretched its wings even wider to merge with the Commonwealth Youth Choir (CYC), a similar choir based in Chestnut Hill, which consists of the Keystone State Choir and the Pennsylvania Girlchoir. With this merger, PBCC now holds nearly 500 singers under its umbrella, with two locations and even more opportunities to share music.
This winter, for the first time, members from all three choirs performed together on one giant stage for The Children’s Spectacular at Kimmel.
Another fun fact about PBCC is that they take an annual Goodwill Tour. Since the late 60s, PBCC has toured over 60 different countries, representing Philadelphia and America by exchanging culture and music. Last year the choir toured India; this year they’re going to Ghana. How cool is it that the choir that represents America is based in Philadelphia? Go PBCC. Go Philly!
Hearing young kids sing is life-affirming; it’s beauty personified; it’s hope for humanity.
Chances are you’ve caught a glimpse of the Philly Boys Choir — the boys singing in their red blazers, say, if you attended the Nutcracker this year (they suddenly appear in the wings to sing the angelic background “aaah” during the Waltz of the Snowflakes). Or perhaps you flipped on the TV in December and caught them live on CBS News singing Christmas carols outside Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Most recently you might have seen them during the seventh inning stretch at the Phillies game singing God Bless America.
This month, the Philly Boys Choir at Temple — their one and only concert open to the public. I personally love the PBCC spring concert because of the heart-melting solos from the outstanding young singers and because of the fun mix of song choices both traditional and modern.
This year’s theme is “Beyond This World” and includes music about outer space, spiritual dimensions, and fantastical stories. Expect to hear Jack and the Beanstalk set to music, Bohemian Rhapsody, Stairway to Heaven and the epic sound-poem Also Sprach Zarathustra (that I promise you’ll recognize from 2001: A Space Odyssey). The spring concert is always a lively, casual concert — fun for the whole family, or for friends visiting from out of town.
The “travel team” of singing
Just how does a boy get into the Philly Boys Choir? My son, for example, auditioned at Merion Elementary School on the Main Line after reading about it on a poster. Smith himself conducts all of the auditions and can pretty much tell almost instantly if a child has potential.
Once accepted, a boy will either join the Cadets or start rehearsing with the performing choir. But that’s just the first step. Just because a boy is rehearsing with the performing choir does not mean he’s in the performing choir. To give you an analogy, the performing choir is like the elite travel soccer team of singing — to be included, you the must pass the “Blazer Test,” a stringent exam that requires each participant to memorize the lyrics, dynamics, and breath to 12 different songs in the specific voice part that boy tests into (soprano 1, 2, or alto 1, 2).
One song, Ubi Caritas, is in Latin. Another, Holy, has sign language to memorize and perform. The boys learn their Blazer songs over summer vacation — I repeat, summer vacation — and then audition in the fall when they’re “ready.” Rarely does a boy pass more than two songs on his first try. He simply must keep coming back until he’s passed all 12. Smith and Stroud are also adamant that the boys stand tall, breathe correctly, show respect for each other and come on time.
I remember the first time I sat outside my son’s performing choir rehearsal and watched Smith and Stroud easily command the attention of a room of 150 adolescent boys, bringing the rambunctious bunch immediately to silence. Standing completely still, I watched the boys wait on Smith to take their first breath, then listened to their voices lift and swell together as one. That’s one thing I really appreciate about the choir — learning to sing as a group — not just shine as an individual as is so often the American way, but to be part of a team, a group, a collective — to be an important part of something larger than oneself.
Both charismatic perfectionists to the nth degree, Smith and Stroud are those special types of teachers who absolutely love what they do, push their students beyond what they thought they were capable of and make a lasting impression. Their students come back to visit even decades on. At last year’s spring concert, I met at least three different alumni — two from 1976 — who said they return every year to hear the boys sing the music they love and remember.
Each November, PBCC hosts a formal Blazer ceremony where those who’ve passed the test receive their famous red blazers, freshly pressed and placed on them by a big brother. (It’s really special.) Next, the new members and current members all perform the Blazer songs together for the first time for their families, including parents like me, who made them practice the songs every day in July when everyone else was at the beach or camp or lying on the couch, who drove them to choir rehearsal in rush hour traffic twice a week — and who appreciate whole-heartedly how hard-earned the achievement was. Is. But of course the earning of the Blazer is just the beginning …
Come December, the boys perform nearly every day, sometimes multiple times a day. At the Nutcracker, with the opera, for live TV, at outdoor Christmas markets—they’re constantly on the move and tickets sell out fast. So quick, catch them now for one of the most exclusive concerts of the year.
Philadelphia Boys Choir & Chorale Spring Concert 2025 is Saturday, June 14, 7-9pm, Temple Performing Arts Center, 1837 N. Broad Street. Tickets are $36.05.
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