- Who We Are

- Goals

The Choir began in 1990 with a single branch and two choir levels, serving a total of 42 children.

A Preparatory Choir consisted of beginning singers as young as eight years old. A Concert Choir consisted of older children who were not yet in high school. In the first year, there was no standardized uniform, but the music was like water to a desert. The community, parents, and children alike gulped it enthusiastically. The Choir is now creating a rainforest of music, supporting fantastic growth.

In 1991, the Choir added a second branch to accommodate a wider geographic population, again with two levels, Preparatory and Concert. The Choir now served 97 children.

In June 1993, the Choir participated in its first Tour: The Golden Gate International Children's Choral Festival in Northern California.

In 1993, the Choir added a third branch, again to accommodate a wider area of singers. The Choir now consisted of three branches, with each offering both Preparatory and Concert Choir levels. Steady growth brought the total number of singers to 178.

The year 1994 marked a significant milestone: the San Diego Children's Choir's first International Tour. Fifty children embarked on an exciting singing and cultural adventure to Great Britain, visiting and singing in Edinburgh, York, Stratford, Ludlow, Winchester, and London. Highlights included an enthusiastic reception of their concert at the Ludlow Music Festival and participation in "Carmina Burana" performed under the direction of Sir David Willcocks in Royal Albert Hall, London. Homestays and sightseeing rounded out this first-time experience for the 10 to 14-year old singers.

In the fall of 1995, the Choir's growth and long-term participation by returning singers made the formation of a new age-level branch possible. High school age girls and boys whose voices had changed, were now able to participate in the new Youth Choir. This exciting addition not only gave a growth path for young singers, but provided the organization with singers capable of tackling new repertoire in four parts. The first year the Youth Choir consisted of 29 girls and 12 boys. They dazzled the Holiday Concert audience with their elegant gowns and tuxedos and a lively rendition of "Carol of the Bells", their hallmark Holiday piece.

Every other year the Choir embarks on a major international tour. In 1996, participants visited Northern Italy, including Bergamo, Milan, Venice, Pisa, Castrocaro Terme, and Florence. The Italians love of music and love of children meant packed churches and enthusiastic audiences. Two appreciative women kissed every child in the front row after a particularly well-received concert. The a cappella repertoire and lovely acoustics mixed well in a country that offered the children such incomparable art as Botticelli's The Birth of Venus and Michelangelo's David.

In 1997-1998, the San Diego Children's Choir served 289 children, 30 of who were on full tuition scholarships. Collectively, these children performed in 40 concerts, 31 in San Diego, 1 in Los Angeles, 2 in Tijuana, and 6 in France.

The 1998 Summer Tour to France was the biggest tour yet. The Touring Choir graduated to two tour buses, and the level of musical performance reached a new height. In fact, a 1998 French Tour CD is available. The Choir spent 5 days exploring Paris before branching out to Normandy. Concert highlights include the Eglise Saint-Séverin in the Latin Quarter, Eglise Saint-Maclou in Rouen (Normandy), and La Cathédrale de Chartres. The views from the Eiffel Tower dazzled the singers, Monet's Gardens at Giverny offered tranquil beauty, the World War II American Cemetery portrayed the sobering costs of war, and the Château de Chenonceau was a virtual fairy tale. Homestays in Rouen and Angers fostered lasting Franco-American friendships.

The 1999 Summer Tour to Pacific Northwest was the first where we posted daily pictures on our web site, started in April 1999. This was a magical tour that was reported to be one of our best by many of our choristers who had been touring since 1993. The chemistry between all the singers was very high and the performances reflected it. The many joint concerts and visits with host choirs and the beautiful scenery of the Northwest and British Columbia enhanced the experience for all.

During the Fall of 1999, the Choir formed an Intermediate Choir at all branches. This level allowed for smoother transition of Choristers from the Preparatory Choir to the Concert Choir. A new Director was hired to take over the duties of the Preparatory Choirs.

Our 2000 Summer Tour to Germany and Austria marked our fourth international tour - to the heartland of beautiful choral music tradition. 70 choristers visited Mozart's Birthplace in Salzburg, Leipzig University where Bach was an organist, the Bach Museum in Eisenach, and the Handel Museum. The group sang in the Service participation in the Burgkapelle where Bach was baptized. The Mirabell Gardens in Salzburg, where the Sound of Music was filmed, was an obvious highlight. The tour ended in Munich where the Youth Choir was hosted by the high school of a former SDCC Chorister.

In the 2001 Summer Tour, the San Diego Children's Choir toured Hawaii for the Pacific Rim Concert Series. The Festival provided our choristers an experience of authentic choral music repertoire and dance from countries around the Pacific Rim.

In the Fall of 2001, the Choir moved into their own home in Mira Mesa. The 2400 foot facility consisted of a front office complex with space for two administrative personnel, the Music Director and the Parent's Association. The back section came to be known as Choir Hall and contained complete rehearsal facilities including a small stage, restrooms, and a small kitchen area. Members of the Parent's Association and the Board devoted a month to designing plans, obtaining and installing new office furniture and equipment including a network to link all the computer systems and printers. The capper was our own sign on the front of the building.

During our 2002 Summer Tour, the San Diego Children's Choir returned to England and visit Wales for the first time. Approximately 60 choristers participated in this concert tour which included Stratford, Bangor, Bath and famous sightseeing sites such as Shakespeare's home and historic Stonehenge. We visited our friends from Wales, Ysgol Gerdd Ceredigion, which is one of Wales top choirs, and the Southend Girls Choir just east of London.

During our 2002 season, the Choir grew by adding the Early Years group - consisting of young 1st and 2nd graders. In addition, the Choir formed additional groups, referered to as Speciality Choirs, for those choristers wishing for additional singing opportunities. These three groups were the Chorale, comprised of Intermediate Choirs members, the Symphonic Choirs, which draw from unchanged voices from the Concert and Youth Choirs, and the Chamber Choir, comprised of members of the Youth Choir.

For the 2004 Summer Tour, the Choir embarked on their longest journey to date - traveling to Australia. The Choir group, consisting of 30 Youth Choristers, Chaperones and Music Leaders, toured and performed from Melbourne to Sydney. They had joint concerts with many of the local Australian Choirs including the Australian Children's Choir and the Woden Valley Youth Choir.

In 2005, the Choir returned to Italy for their Summer Tour. Approximately 50 Chorister toured and performed from toured and performed from Venice to Rome. Along the way, they participated in the liturgy at St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, visited Michelangelo's David in Florence, viewed the Leaning Tower in Pisa, traveled in the beautiful town of San Gimignano, and performed in St. Francis Basilica in Assisi. A highlight of the tour was in Rome where our Choristers attended a Papal Audience and sang for the Holy Father.

In the Fall of 2005, we added our fourth branch in Southeast San Diego. The desire for music education at Audubon Elementary school prompted a teacher to contact her sister, a former Choir parent and past Board President. Not longer after, we began weekly rehearsals for 50 new Choristers within our two youngest levels, Early Years and Preparatory.

For our 2006 Summer Tour, our Choristers embarked on an Alaskan Choral Cruise for Children's Choirs conducted by Duain Wolfe and Sir David Willcocks. The cruise departed from Vancouver and had our choristers witnessing up-close Alaska's scenic wonders such as tidewater glaciers, waterfalls, mountain peaks and marine life while stopping in attactive ports of call including Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan.

For our 2007 Summer Tour, our Choristers visited Switzerland for the first time and returned to France. The tour began in the beautiful Switzerland towns of Lucerne, Bern and Mount Pilatus. Then they continued to Paris, France as did many of the first SDCC Choristers some nine years ago performing and touring in venues such as Notre Dame Basilica and Chartres Cathedral. After their Paris excursion, they heads to the southeast portion of France including the beautiful Loire Vallen, the magnificant city of Lyon, and spent the last weekend in Nice.

The San Diego Children's Choir has collaborated over the years with other performing groups. They regularly participate in Holiday Concerts with the San Diego Symphony. In 1996, they performed the world premiere of "Requiem in Memoriam, Oklahoma City" under the direction of the composer, Ron Gillis. The San Diego Children Choir has performed Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana" twice: once under the direction of Sir David Willcocks in Royal Albert Hall, London, and again under the direction of Maestro Yoav Talmi with the San Diego Symphony.

The San Diego Children's Choir continues to grow. In the Fall of 2007, the Choir will consolidated the choir levels back down to four - Preparatory, Intermediate, Concert and Youth - but keeping the same age requirements from 6 years old until graduating from high school. With over 300 choristers from many areas of San Diego and the capability for more growth, the Choir is fulfilling its mission.