Meet Sherona, a tall dark skinned athletic girl from May Pen with a big personality. She plays football, netball and volleyball, loves dominoes and is very bright.  She is a sports scholar who graduated with first class honors from University and is now doing post graduate work in Economics.  Then there is David, a silent sixth former from St. Andrew who just earned eight distinctions at CSEC.  Also there is Monique, a serious entrepreneur who makes jewelry and Ricardo who dances almost as much as he chats.  There is Sandrie the St. Mary scientist, Bradley the meticulous soon to be attorney and Stefan the certified clown.  These are just some of the members of the highly acclaimed Jamaica Youth Chorale (JYC).

They are now knee deep in rehearsals preparing for the fifth annual staging of the JYC’s flagship event Ancestor Voices: Lift Every Voice for Freedom scheduled for February 23 at the University Chapel, 6pm.  

The repertoire is complex and requires focus and discipline to make it sound easy and well done.  In honor of black history month, it features Jamaican and African traditional and contemporary works as well as the American Negro Spiritual.  Works by musical directors Dr. Kathy Brown and Hanif Lawrence are in the line up but the real feature is on a JYC favorite composer Moses Hogan.  Greg Simms, principal director of the JYC believes that “…Moses is the King of the Negro Spiritual and his singers are the example in choral excellence I live by. His body of work is so impressive, expressive and so eloquent. It represents what choral music is all about: bodies and voices, together, transmitting life and meaning through music to everything and body around it. That is what I work to accomplish with the JYC"

Undoubtedly the event will be unforgettable as the JYC launches into another 5 years of excellent music with some big plans to announce.  You are invited to come and meet us.  Come and meet Sherona, David, Monique and all the others as we inspire each other.  Until then feel free to learn even more about us at www.jamaciayouthchorale.org