Three of the Country’s Top Youth Choirs Come Together In DC For 'Songs From The Heartland” Concert Supporting UNICEF USA Presented by Perform America

The Cincinnati Youth Choir, Young Naperville Singers and the Allegro Choirs of Kansas City will travel across the country this summer to present Songs from the Heartland: Youth Supporting UNICEF USA on June 13 at 7:30 p.m. at National Presbyterian Church. The concert, presented by Perform America, brings together three nationally noted youth choirs in support of UNICEF. Tickets are pay-what-you-will and can be purchased at https://events.unicefusa.org/event/songs-from-the-heartland-a-benefit-concert-for-unicef   

In addition to their performance at National Presbyterian Church, the choirs will sing together on the steps of the Capitol the morning of June 13, at 10:30 a.m. and at the WWII Memorial on June 14, at 10:00 a.m. 

"Each time we take singers on a tour, there are life changing moments and I'm sure this trip will be no different,” Angie Johnson, director of Young Naperville Singers said. “There is something magical that happens when young people sing together. Creating beautiful choral music together has a way of building an almost instant community and creating memories that are unforgettable."  

The three choirs last performed together at Carnegie Hall in 2021. Directors Christy Elsner, Robyn Lana, and Angie Johnson connected during the COVID-19 pandemic and provided crucial support to each other in the midst of shutdowns and canceled performances. Working together, the three directors practically reinvented their choir programs to keep the organizations afloat, including conducting virtual choir rehearsals and finding new performance avenues. The mutual support of the directors allowed their choirs to maintain steady enrollment numbers that continued even after the pandemic, and kept their student communities alive.  

“While apart by miles, our programs are similar in structure and expectations" Elsner said. “We push our singers for excellence musically and focus on excellence in leadership skills and character.  When our singers sang the first couple of measures at the opening Carnegie Hall rehearsal in 2022, it was like the heavens opened.” 

Songs from the Heartland features a variety of musical genres, from reflective and soulful works to uplifting gospel tunes. Together, the three choirs will perform Be Like the Bird by Abbie Betinis, Ukuthula African Prayer for Peace by Andre van der Merwe, Hope Lingers On by Andrea Ramsey, Amazing Grace Arr. by Lee Kesselman, Will the Circle arr. by J. David Moore, By Night by Elaine Hagenberg, and I Sing Because I'm Happy arr. by Rollo Dilworth. Each choir will also have their own individual performance, with their programs to be announced. 

"These are some of the finest, most artistic and gloriously trained youth choirs in the country,” Lana said. “Having them together again is simply not-to-be-missed.”