Trenton Children's Chorus to Premiere New Nunez Work April 10

A blended chorus of one hundred and fifty young people will fill the soaring spaces of Princeton University Chapel with glorious music on Saturday, April 10, at 7:30 PM. The concert, "Lift One Voice", will feature the premiere of a brand new work by Francisco J. Núñez , noted composer of choral music and Founder/Artistic Director of The Young People's Chorus of New York City. Hailed by the New York Times as one "who has been raising the bar for children's music for over a decade", Núñez will personally conduct the massed voices which combine members of Trenton Children's Chorus (organizer of the event), with the Westminster Conservatory Cantus, Princeton Girlchoir Cantores, Princeton High School Freshman Women's Choir, and Núñez' own Young People's Chorus.

Trenton Children's Chorus (TCC) commissioned Núñez to create the new piece, titled "The Activists", in celebration of the twentieth anniversary of TCC's work bringing children together to make music and find support for their aspirations. TCC then invited other area choruses to join in this debut concert. Núñez has chosen the poetry of children's author J. PatRick Lewis for the lyrics of "The Activists", dedicated to civil rights heroes and heroines.

Of the new work, Núñez says, "I freely adapted J. PatRick Lewis' poetry and created a story from the civil rights era starting from the death of MLK, to Malcolm X describing the need for justice, to Rosa Parks changing history. The musical piece proceeds through a wide range of expressions, beginning with a mournful choral hymn for voices, flute and Piano, followed by a march. Then a beautiful blue grass solo partners with a hymn-like Amazing Grace, which is followed by a return to the march that leads, finally, to an all-out, hand-clapping climax."

Following a recent rehearsal of "The Activists" with the huge joint chorus, TCC Artistic Director Patricia Thel said, "It was the most amazing experience I have ever had as a conductor. The music is simply extraordinary and the impact of all these voices is like a force of nature!"

Both seasoned concert-goers and children will be entertained by the varied musical selections as well as by the inspiring vision of so many young people joining together to lift their voices as one in honor of justice, peace, and hope. Reverend Darrell Armstrong, Senior Pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Trenton, and Emily Mann, Artistic Director of The McCarter Theater Center in Princeton, will each speak to the importance of such experiences in the lives of the young and in the life of the community.

Tickets are available at the door of the Princeton University Chapel located on the Princeton University campus. Suggested donation is $20 for adults and $10 for students. For more information, call 609-658-7404 or contact www.trentonchildrenschorus.org

About Francisco J. Núñez
Francisco J. Núñez, founder and artistic director of the Young People's Chorus of New York has pursued his vision of providing young people of diverse backgrounds with a safe haven for personal and artistic growth through music. A recipient of the Young Virtuoso International grant, Mr. Núñez has earned acclaim as a composer for seamlessly fusing a wide gamut of Latin cultures and musical idioms writing numerous works for chorus, orchestra and solo instruments.

For his exemplary work with young people, Mr. Núñez has received the 2009 ASCAP Concert Music Award and the 2009 New York Choral Society's Choral Excellence Award, which cited his "commitment to music education, the enrichment of the choral repertory, and his dedication to musical excellence." He also received the Child Champion Award from Child magazine, a Liberty Award from the New York Post, and a Luminary Award from Casita Maria. Citing his influence in changing public agenda, Hispanic Business magazine named him as one of the 100 Most Influential Hispanics of 2005. GMC's advertising campaign hailed him as an unsung Hispanic hero doing exemplary work in his community, while La Sociedad Coral Latinoamericana recently honored him as 2009 Man of the Year.

About the Trenton Children's Chorus
The Trenton Children's Chorus provides opportunities for young people in Trenton, Princeton, and all neighboring communities to learn the artistic power and spirit of creating music together. In all we do, we endeavor to expand the horizons for each choir member in musical education, in performance achievement and in personal standards, academic learning, individual growth and musical joy.

TCC has performed at the National Cathedral, before the New Jersey State Legislature, in concert with Dave Brubeck and Bobby McFerrin, with Princeton Pro Musica and as the children's chorus in the opera Carmen. In addition, Trenton Children's Chorus identifies and pursues opportunities for its members that they might not ordinarily seek for themselves.

In 2007, TCC performed for various events locally and out of state: The 3rd Annual Taste of Trenton Benefit; Pearson Methodist Church Anniversary; Shiloh Baptist Church; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Concert with Princeton Day School Choir; Benefit Concert featuring Sweet Honey In The Rock; Greater Trenton Symphony; Boheme Opera, NJ; Spring Into Song, Hopewell Valley Chorus; United Nations Youth Conference on Peace & Nonviolence in NYC; and Woodstream Baptist Church, Baltimore, MD.

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