![Boys Choir Of Harlem](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Boys_Choir_Of_Harlem.jpg)
The Boys Choir of Harlem (also known as the Harlem Boys Choir) was a
choir
A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...
located in
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Ha ...
,
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. Its final performance was in 2007 and the group folded shortly thereafter due to several controversies, including a large budget deficit, and the death of its founder.
Early years
Founded in 1968 by Dr.
Walter Turnbull at the Ephesus
Seventh-day Adventist Church in Harlem, the choir grew to be more than just a performing group. Drawn from inner-city children in the neighborhood, the majority of the choir's members were
African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...
or
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
. In its early years, Rev.
Frederick B. Williams gave them a base at the
Church of the Intercession at 155th Street and Broadway.
The choir established a professional school incorporating a regular academic curriculum, the Choir Academy of Harlem. It was supervised by the
New York City Department of Education
The New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) is the department of the government of New York City that manages the city's public school system. The City School District of the City of New York (or the New York City Public Schools) is t ...
; at its peak, it had a student body of over 500 boys and girls. Because of staff misconduct, the group lost use of the school facility in 2006.
Performances
Performers received rigorous voice training and performed many types of music, including classical, hip-hop, R&B, jazz, and gospel music. The choir was internationally known. Over 150,000 people saw the choir live each year across the United States as well as in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
,
Japan, The
Netherlands
)
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, and the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
. Unlike its
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
n cousin, the
Vienna Boys Choir
The Vienna Boys' Choir (german: Wiener Sängerknaben) is a choir of boy sopranos and altos based in Vienna, Austria. It is one of the best known boys' choirs in the world. The boys are selected mainly from Austria, but also from many other countr ...
, the Boys Choir of Harlem did not include only boys who had not reached puberty. The range of music performed was such that it required both natural boy sopranos whose voices had not yet changed and more mature voices of teenagers who could sing tenor and bass roles.
The choir performed for Presidents at the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...
and dignitaries at the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...
. It also performed live for the visits of international dignitaries such as
Nelson Mandela of
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
and
Pope
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
John Paul II
Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
.
The choir was recorded for soundtracks of films, including ''
Glory,'' ''
Malcolm X
Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, later Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an American Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figure during the civil rights movement. A spokesman for the Nation of I ...
,'' and many Spike Lee films. It performed on
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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rapper
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
's song "Two Words." The boys' voices have also been part of albums with
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
,
Kathleen Battle
Kathleen Deanna Battle (born August 13, 1948) is an American operatic soprano known for her distinctive vocal range and tone. Born in Portsmouth, Ohio, Battle initially became known for her work within the concert repertoire through performance ...
,
Luciano Pavarotti,
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...
,
Kiss
A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...
, and more. The choir also performed "
America the Beautiful
"America the Beautiful" is a patriotic American song. Its lyrics were written by Katharine Lee Bates and its music was composed by church organist and choirmaster Samuel A. Ward at Grace Episcopal Church in Newark, New Jersey. The two neve ...
" to open
WrestleMania XX
WrestleMania XX was the 20th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It featured professional wrestlers from both of the promotion's two brands divisions – Raw an ...
. In 1994, the choir recorded the original song "Christmas Time Uptown" with
Alvin and the Chipmunks for the holiday album ''
A Very Merry Chipmunk''.
The choir has also sung verses of
WNBC
WNBC (channel 4) is a television station in New York City, serving as the flagship of the NBC network. It is owned and operated by the network's NBC Owned Television Stations division alongside Linden, New Jersey–licensed Telemundo stati ...
Channel 4's campaign jingle, "We're 4 New York" in both 1992 and 2002.
Following the
9/11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerci ...
on the
World Trade Center
World Trade Centers are sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association.
World Trade Center may refer to:
Buildings
* List of World Trade Centers
* World Trade Center (2001–present), a building complex that includes five skyscrapers, a ...
, the choir was invited to sing "
God Bless America
"God Bless America" is an American patriotic song written by Irving Berlin during World War I in 1918 and revised by him in the run up to World War II in 1938. The later version was notably recorded by Kate Smith, becoming her signature son ...
" at the
Cantor Fitzgerald
Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P. is an American financial services firm that was founded in 1945. It specializes in institutional equity, fixed income sales and trading, and serving the middle market with investment banking services, prime brokerage, an ...
memorial service in
Central Park
Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban park in the United States, with an estimated ...
. This was filmed in the documentary ''
In Memoriam: New York City 9/11/01.'' They also performed "
This Little Light of Mine
"This Little Light of Mine" is a popular gospel song of unknown origin. It was often reported to be written for children in the 1920s by Harry Dixon Loes, but he never claimed credit for the original version of the song, and the Moody Bible Inst ...
" with
Odetta
Odetta Holmes (December 31, 1930 – December 2, 2008), known as Odetta, was an American singer, actress, guitarist, lyricist, and a civil rights activist, often referred to as "The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement". Her musical repertoire co ...
on the ''
Late Show with David Letterman,'' appearing on the first show after Letterman resumed broadcasting, after having been off the air for several nights, following the events of September 11. During the ''
Prayer for America'' memorial service at
Yankee Stadium (1923)
The original Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in the Bronx in New York City. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees, one of the city's Major League Baseball franchises, from 1923 to 2008, except for 1974–1975 when the stadium wa ...
, the choir, with the
Girls Choir of Harlem, performed "
We Shall Overcome
"We Shall Overcome" is a gospel song which became a protest song and a key anthem of the American civil rights movement. The song is most commonly attributed as being lyrically descended from "I'll Overcome Some Day", a hymn by Charles Albert ...
".
In 1995, they performed as
Munchkin
A Munchkin is a native of the fictional Munchkin Country in the Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum. They first appear in the classic children's novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900) where they welcome Dorothy Gale to their city in ...
s in ''
The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True'', a musical concert at
Lincoln Center
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 milli ...
to benefit the
Children's Defense Fund
The Children's Defense Fund (CDF) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that focuses on child advocacy and research. It was founded in 1973 by Marian Wright Edelman.
History
The CDF was founded in 1973, citi ...
. The performance was originally broadcast on both
TBS and
TNT
Trinitrotoluene (), more commonly known as TNT, more specifically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and by its preferred IUPAC name 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. TNT is occasionally used as a reagen ...
. It issued on CD and video in 1996. The choir collaborated with R&B singer
Joe on his song "Ghetto Child".
Musicians
Since its inception, The Boys Choir of Harlem featured first-class Piano Accompanists. The Principal Accompanist for the choir was always a pianist who needed to be extremely versatile in order to play the range of music styles from Classical to Spirituals to Gospel to Jazz and Pop music. Also, the touring group featured a "Jazz Band" which included a drummer, bassist, guitarist and keyboard player (in addition to the Principal Piano Accompanists who sometimes doubled on keyboards). The Girls Choir also featured a Piano Accompanist. Among the many talented musicians that toured with the choir included Eric Reed, Keith Burton, Willard Dyson, Isaac ben Ayala, Darryl Smith, Aleeza Meir, Joseph Joubert, Doug Jordan, Harry Miller, Glenn Pearson, Robin Pitre and many more throughout the years.
Controversy
The choir for many years enjoyed the sponsorship of the City of New York; former NYC Mayor
David Dinkins
David Norman Dinkins (July 10, 1927 – November 23, 2020) was an American politician, lawyer, and author who served as the 106th mayor of New York City from 1990 to 1993. He was the first African American to hold the office.
Before enteri ...
authorized their free use of the
Arthur Schomburg School on East 127th Street in
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Ha ...
. The choir director lost this support through a series of scandals.
First, his lack of financial controls led to the program's running up a $5 million deficit. Second, in the spring of 2001, a 14-year-old student came forward to founder and director Walter Turnbull and reported that the choir's chief counselor, Frank Jones Jr., had been molesting him for years. Turnbull failed to notify the police and did nothing to investigate the allegations.
It was later revealed that Turnbull and his brother, Horace, the choir's executive vice president, allowed Jones to stay in contact with students even after city officials explicitly banned him from the 650-student academy (a public school that is overseen and financed in part by the Department of Education). Jones was allowed to remain so close to students that he was called upon by the Turnbulls to chaperone at least eight overnight choir trips. A city school official reported to investigators that Horace Turnbull had complained to her that barring Mr. Jones was "a hardship," because he was "an integral part" of the program.
The silence regarding the allegations against Jones was eventually broken when the 14-year-old student's mother went to the authorities. That fall Jones was arrested, tried and sentenced to two years in prison for multiple counts of third-degree sexual abuse and endangerment of a child.
In 2003, city investigators concluded that the Turnbull brothers had failed to report the complaints of abuse to the authorities and had allowed Mr. Jones to continue working with children. A memorandum was issued to the choir's board of directors by investigators for the New York City schools. It urged the choir's board to dismiss the Turnbull brothers. The board immediately asked for the resignation of Walter and Horace Turnbull. Both men refused to resign and defended themselves publicly. In a surprising move, the choir board then voted unanimously to recommend that the Turnbulls be kept on in a revised capacity.
As a result, the city school system's investigative arm recommended that the Department of Education "sever all ties" with the academy if the Turnbulls remain. Shortly after, the Department of Education did just that and evicted the choir from the city-owned school property where they had been operating rent-free since 1993. The Choir relocated to the Metropolitan Community Methodist Church.
Walter Turnbull died at age 62 on March 23, 2007, in a New York City hospital after suffering a massive stroke.
In 2009 choir alumnus Terrance Wright announced at the Metropolitan Community Methodist Church that the Choir was officially closed down.
Awards and honors
In 1996, the Choir was awarded the
National Medal of Arts.
Lifetime Honors - National Medal of Arts
References
*
External links
{{authority control
Boys' and men's choirs
Choirs in New York City
Harlem
Musical groups from Harlem