About
Our Mission
The mission of the Durham Children’s Choir is to provide an opportunity for outstanding young singers in the Durham North Carolina community to learn a wide variety of high quality choral music, both sacred and secular, and to share that music with the community through public performances.
Our History
The Durham Children’s Choir is a singing group of students from the Durham, North Carolina area. The first auditions were held for the choir May 17-19, 2004. Over 134 children came to the auditions; they represented most of the Durham Public elementary and middle schools, private and church schools, and home schooled children. 100 children were selected for the choir. The Choir was originally directed by Scott Hill, retired teacher with the Durham Public Schools. The choir is currently directed by Dena Byers, the music teacher at Hillandale Elementary School. The accompanist is Jeff Whicker, organist at Temple Baptist Church.
The choir performed with Bobby McFerrin in their Inaugural Season at Duke University.
The Durham Children’s Choir studies and performs a wide variety of choral music, including sacred and secular music, world music, gospel, Broadway and American popular songs. Music theory and appreciation are included in the weekly rehearsals.
Financial support for the Durham Children’s Choir for its inaugural season came from the Durham Arts Council in the form of an Emerging Artists Grant, a grant from Duke University Chapel, and gifts from the community. The yearly budget includes funds for the purchase of music and uniforms, honorariums for the choir’s accompanist and assistant conductor and performance and publicity expenses.
The Durham Children's Choir is supported by generous grants from:
Upcoming Performances
To the Stars!
Please join us for our Spring Concert on
Saturday, May 20th at 3:00pm
Blacknall Memorial Presbyterian Church
1902 Perry Street, Durham, NC
Admission:
$12 - Adults
$10 - Students and Seniors
Free for children 5 and under
Join the Choir
2023 - 2024 will be the 20th season for the Durham Children's Choir and auditions are being held this spring! If your child is interested in participating in the choir, please click on the "Learn More" button below.
Auditions are required for Bel Canto, our performance choir for singers with treble voices in grades 5-12.
No audition is required for Cantare, our preparatory choir for children in grades 2 - 4.
Financial assistance is available.
Support Us
We are a non-profit organization that provides high quality music education and performance opportunities for a diverse group of young singers from the greater Durham area. Your gift not only helps us bring beautiful music to our community, it also helps provide need-based tuition scholarships that ensure all children can sing and grow with us.