The young singers of the Miami Choral Academy will not soon forget the standing ovation they received Wednesday, March 28th at the New World Center on Miami Beach. MCA’s 200 members—all in elementary school—sang beautifully at Keep the Music Alive, a benefit concert of opera arias for the Miami Choral Academy.
The Miami Choral Academy, now in its second year, is an initiative of Miami’s professional choir, Seraphic Fire. Based on the belief that music is a powerful tool for social and academic growth in children, MCA provides a tuition-free afterschool music education to students in four public elementary schools located in economically disadvantaged communities of Miami-Dade County. By involving the students’ parents and making links to other subjects such as math, science and history, MCA aims to affect positive academic and social change in participating students’ lives.
In their own set, the 26-member MCA Honors Chamber Choir Making made their Miami Beach debut with their moving performance of The Greatest Love of All.
The finale brought to the stage all 200 members of the Miami Choral Academy alongside the professional vocalists of Seraphic Fire. MCA first accompanied soprano Misty Bermudez to perform the famous Habanera, from Bizet’s opera Carmen. From there, and with Seraphic Fire’s Artistic Director Patrick Dupré Quigley at the piano, the children sang Quigley’s stunning arrangement of Steal Away with countertenor, Reggie Mobley. The evening concluded with the children accompanying soprano Kathryn Mueller for a magnificent performance of The Way Old Friends Do.
The Miami Choral Academy presents their final concert of the year, the Miami Choral Academy Spring Choir Festival, on June 1 at St. Martha’s Church in Miami Shores. The event is free and open to the public.
Seraphic Fire will continue its 10th Season April 18th – 22nd with performances of Dances of the Americas: The Pulse of a New World by its Firebird Chamber Orchestra. The program will feature Aaron Copland’s stunning Hoe-Down alongside works by John Adams. Dates, times & locations below.
Wednesday, April 18, 7:30pm
St. Jude Melkite Catholic Church
126 S.E. 15th Road
Miami, FL 33129
Thursday, April 19, 7:30pm
St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church
100 N.E. Mizner Blvd.
Boca Raton, FL 33432
Friday, April 20, 7:30pm
First United Methodist Church
536 Coral Way
Coral Gables, FL 33134
Saturday, April 21, 8:00pm
All Saints Episcopal Church
333 Tarpon Drive
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
Sunday, April 22, 4:00pm
Miami Beach Community Church
1620 Drexel Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33139
