The Best Holiday Treat – The Young People’s Chorus’ of New York City A Very Merry New York

It’s like the Sugar Plum Fairy, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus, and the Christmas angel all rolled into one. On Sunday, December 8, the Young People’s Chorus of New York City (YPC) took the stage and lit it up, not only Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall, but the spirits of family and friends who made up the sold out audience. 

And what an entrance they made! In the darkened theater, the older members of the chorus walked down the auditorium’s aisles carrying small blue globes, while on the stage the rest of the chorus held orange globes. The colors of the globes continued to change as the children sang Chandrika Tandon’s “Song of Light.” When the singing ended and the applause died down, Francisco Núñez, YPC’s founder and conductor, recognized Tandon who had a front row seat in the orchestra. Tandon, a businesswoman, philanthropist, and Grammy-nominated musical artist, had earlier posted on Facebook her joy about collaborating with the YPC.

For many New Yorkers, the YPC Winter Concert, this year titled “A Very Merry New York,” is a must see and the true beginning of the holiday season. Proud parents make up an enthusiastic portion of the audience, but so many other New Yorkers have become fans and contributors. One woman told us that she works at a church where some of the YPC choristers regularly practice. This was the first time she had seen them perform, and she was overwhelmed, like so many others.

Francisco (center in the photo above), who founded the Children’s Aid Society Chorus in 1988, becoming the Young People’s Chorus of New York City in 1997, won a MacArthur Fellowship in 2011 for “shaping the future of choral singing for children.” He has continued to take the group to new heights, working with famous musicians and composers like Tandon to expand the group’s repertoire. In addition to performing at high profile events in New York City like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Tree Lighting at Rockefeller Center, and the Christmas Concert at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the group has traveled internationally, winning awards along the way. 

How the group has grown was on full display at this concert. The YPC consists of 2,000 children and youth from all over New York City, ranging in age from eight to 18, and 600 of those performed at the Winter Concert. Participating in YPC involves a large time commitment, not only from the children, but also from their parents, a commitment Núñez was quick to mention on the stage.

Besides Francisco, Elizabeth Núñez, his wife, serves as YPC’s creative director and in this concert conducted several of the group’s performances. Because movement is important to the execution of each song, Jacquelyn Bird serves as choreographer. And those costumes! Kudos to Ana-Sofia Meneses, costume designer. Other conductors for “A Very Merry New York” included: Maria C. Peña, Caitlin Henning, Emma H. Sway, and Ahra Cho, along with Taylor Smith, conducting assistant, and Julliet Freedman, conducting fellow. The musicians included: Taisiya Pushkar, piano; Bryson Baumgartel, synthesizer; Jim Papoulis, flute/percussion; Dillon Kondor, guitar; Rob Jost, bass; Adam Wolfe, drums; Pascual Martinez, clarinet. 

While the performance is called a Winter Concert, the song selections embraced many religions and ethnicities. In this first part of the program, the chorus sang “Traditional Hanukkah Folk Songs “ by Mi Y’maleil, S’vivon and “Hebrew Folk Song” by Simu Shemen. A performance of the traditional spiritual “Children, Go Where I Send Thee,” was exuberant, the audience feeding off the childrens’ enthusiasm. 

A standout was Charlie Smalls’ “Home” from The Wiz, a wistful feeling conveyed by singers from three different age groups. J. Frederick Bridge’s “The Goslings,” about a couple of geese out to be cooked, a love song sung by older boys, was humorous. “Joy to the World” (George Frederick Handel, Isaac Watts) sounded less like the traditional carol and more like Three Dog’s Night’s version. 

Two popular songs were repeated from last year’s concert, both featuring the older girls. Gus Levene’s “Ring Those Christmas Bells,” featured the singers in plaid skirts, and Leon Jessel’s “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers,” was reminiscent of the version performed by the Radio City Rockettes.

The concert ended with Francisco and Elizabeth leading the chorus and the audience singing popular holiday songs, everything from “Frosty the Snowman,” to Deck the Halls.” 

The Christmas season has begun. Enjoy!

Photo credit: Stephanie Berger

For more information about the YPC and to donate, go to the website.