Photo courtesy of Ken Berg
The Birmingham Boys Choir, which is open to boys ages 8 to 18, will be starting a new rehearsal location at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church this fall.
The Birmingham Boys Choir is set to open a new satellite location at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church this fall, just in time for their new practice season.
Margaret Stinnett, executive director at the BBC, said a large amount of the boys who will be attending the St. Luke’s practices were going to the Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church location.
“Our project is very exciting because we already have quite a few boys who have auditioned or have indicated that that would be a more convenient place for their parents to get them to and from,” Stinnett said.
The BBC performs all over the city of Birmingham with popular performance locations being Samford University, Canterbury United Methodist Church and Indian Springs School.
This opening of a new satellite location will expand the choirs presence in the city even more, said Ken Berg, who has been the director of the BBC since it first started in 1973.
“We are trying to serve the city,” Berg said. “We’re trying to get all our bases covered so we have a full representation of Birmingham.”
The BBC operates in satellites on a need basis, Berg said.
“We’re building and operating this satellite because people have asked us to,” he added.
When the choir started in 1973, it was based in one location. By moving to a satellite-based system in 2011, the choir has been able to expand its impact on Birmingham in a way that it would never have been able to otherwise, according to Berg.
“Having one location has a lot of advantages but it has significant disadvantages, too,” he said. “By [opening satellites] our enrollment tripled.”
The new satellite came together because of an invitation from Kenneth Hamrick, the choir director at St. Luke’s.
“It’s also a partnership,” Stinnett said. “It’s providing an opportunity to children in other parts of the city that might not otherwise be able to participate in an organization like the Birmingham Boys Choir.”
The BBC will have a concert at St. Luke’s on Aug. 2, and their performance will coincide with the end of their summer camp at UAB.
Berg hopes this partnership will expand the choir to an area of the city that has not been accessible for some of its members in the past.
“We are very dedicated to adjusting our program to meet the changing needs of our boys and their families.” Berg said. “I think one of the most important things in that is being courageous enough to guard and protect the traditions that are foundational to organizations such as ours.”
The Birmingham Boys Choir auditions and enrolls boys throughout the year. The choir is open to boys ages 8-18 and requires no previous musical training. The new rehearsal season will begin later this fall with the program at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church beginning Aug. 9.
For more information visit birminghamboyschoir.com or call 767-9219.
