By Dunia Fawal Ritchey
If you’ve ever seen the musical 1776, you know how delightful the mix of singing and history can be. This June, 43 members of the Birmingham Boys Choir (BBC) will experience this combination firsthand. The Tour Choir of the BBC will travel from Birmingham to perform in some of America’s Founding Cities, including Williamsburg, Norfolk, Washington D.C. and Philadelphia.
Ken Berg, Director of the BBC, takes the choir on tour every odd-numbered year, alternating between domestic and international destinations. He believes these tours expose the boys to new people and places while introducing audiences to a different side of Birmingham and the South. Past choirs have visited Japan, Costa Rica, Ireland and Czech Republic and have toured the United States performing throughout the West, the Pacific Northwest, Southern California, and the Southeast.
Berg explains that tour travel benefits the boys by helping them grow musically and personally. Performing challenging repertoires in various venues enhances their musical skills, while interacting with new people and with each other teaches them courtesy, flexibility, teamwork and adherence to rules. The boys serve as excellent ambassadors for Birmingham, impressing audiences with their talent, maturity and exemplary behavior. Wherever they go, the boys are asked to stay longer or to visit again. Berg proudly shares, “I expect people to tell me that the boys sing well, because they have been working hard on their skill. But one of the things that truly thrills my heart is when airline flight attendants or hotel managers or restaurant managers say, ‘You can bring these boys here any time. They are so well behaved and so polite and well mannered, and it’s obvious that they like each other and get along.’”
One of the most enjoyable aspects of these trips for both Berg and the boys is the spontaneous singing that occurs whenever the opportunity arises. Berg fondly recalls moments like the boys quickly and independently organizing the singing of the National Anthem at the luggage carousel of an airport to honor a young soldier returning home from deployment or serenading a couple getting married in a Chicago park. How many couples get surprised by a world-class choir at their wedding?
Funding is the biggest challenge for the BBC, especially for boys with limited travel opportunities outside the choir. The choir relies heavily on sponsorships and donations to cover operating costs, venue fees and tuition scholarships. Berg notes that boys who need the travel experience the most often miss out due to financial constraints. Tour sponsorships allow some boys to receive travel scholarships, while year-round support helps cover tuition and camp scholarships for those boys in need, as well as overall operating expenses
for the choir.
The Birmingham Boys Choir is open to young men in grades 3-12. Boys in third and fourth grade join the Junior Choir, grades 5-8 the Concert Choir, and high schoolers the Graduate Choristers. While juniors do not participate in Tour Choir, choristers from grades 5-12 can choose to be considered for this select group. Not all boys can commit to the extra rehearsals and performances required, and some families cannot afford the travel costs. Berg evaluates the group composition to ensure the best mix of voice parts for optimal performance. Typically, there is a “one bus limit” that determines how many boys and chaperones can go, as travel around the tour destination is by charter bus.
The Birmingham Boys Choir accepts audition requests year-round and is actively auditioning for next season. The BBC will perform their Spring Concert on Sunday, May 18, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. at Canterbury United Methodist Church. The Tour Choir will perform their Homecoming Concert on Friday, June 6, 2025, at 4 p.m. at Brock Recital Hall at Samford University. Both performances are free and open to the public.
If you know a boy who needs to be a part of this amazing group, please contact Ken Berg at [email protected]. To help sponsor the BBC or the Tour Choir, please contact Christopher Ritchey, Director of Development, at [email protected].
