About the World Children’s Choir

Mission and Background:

The World Children's Choir serves as a voice for children worldwide — giving voice to the interests of all children, celebrating cultural diversity through music, promoting positive international relations, and asking people to work together to create a peaceful, healthy world for children. Through singing, WCC members explore musical content, and use music, art, and special activities to mediate cross-cultural differences and become peacemakers. The children learn how music and art expresses emotion, creates shared experiences, bridges differences, tells stories, produces beauty and enriches others.

The World Children’s Choir is concerned about the children of the world and the future they face. By pursuing our mission we believe that we contribute to building a world of peaceful respect, friendship, cooperation, and prosperity among nations. We believe that working together to produce beautiful music and other kinds of art enables the children to create friendships based on mutual understanding and respect. By bringing children from many cultures and nations together in song today, we can sow the seeds of a more peaceful world tomorrow.

The Choir has been appointed to the Artists Roster of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Performances have been given for President George W. Bush, former U.S. Presidents Bush and Clinton, Queen Noor of Jordan, Queen Sofia of Spain, H. E. the United States Supreme Court and on numerous other occasions at the White House, the Kennedy Center, on Capitol Hill and for national and international television broadcasts.

We fulfill our mission in three ways:

• First, to local children of all cultures, nationalities, and economic circumstances, we offer professional instruction and unique opportunities to sing with beauty, artistry, and joy.

• Second, we direct our music to inspire our audiences – reinforcing and sustaining our belief that by working together we can truly create a peaceful, healthy world.

• Third – through our projects and activities of our Voices for Children Campaign (benefit concerts, CD sales, and community outreach) we raise money and coordinate activities to directly support children in need – both locally and throughout the world.

The Choir has helped raise money for national and international children's causes and organizations such as the Children's Defense Fund, UNICEF, and the CARE Foundation. Additionally, the Choir raised funds to purchase an entire year's worth of school supplies for children in Morolica, Honduras, whose village was destroyed by Hurricane Mitch. WCC also partnered with St. Peter's Episcopal Church to raise $12,000 to build a blood-testing wing in the Kgabo District Mission Clinic in South Africa.

The Choir performed for former Soviet President, Mikhail Gorbachev and guests at the Embassy of the Russian Federation, as part of a very special dinner to raise funds for Childhood Leukemia Research.

The Choir’s Voices for Children Festival and concerts were given in Ireland in honor of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees first World Refugee Day. Concert proceeds were contributed to programs for child refugees living in Ireland and the UNHCR Educational Trust .Additional workshops and performances were given in Dublin, Cork, Carlow, Waterford, Galway City, and Connemara. Performances in Dublin and Cork were shown on national television throughout Ireland.

Through our music, we reach out to audiences far and wide to reinforce our message of hope and unity. The World Children’s Choir gives a voice to local children to earn support and attention for the needs of all children worldwide, and calls upon adults throughout the world to do the same.

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Current Programs and Activities:

The World Children’s Choir features a professionally trained children’s choir with divisions for ages 4 - 18, and West African Drumming and Dancing Ensemble. All students are trained in the Italian Bel Canto style of singing, which nurtures the development of a solo-quality singing voice. The Choir’s season of activities includes four season concerts and special event performances at high profile venues. Scholarships and Performing Arts at the Heart of Literacy outreach program activities are offered to children from financially disadvantaged families.

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Divisions of the Choir:

Opera Ensemble

Bella Voce

Concert Choir

Junior Choir

Friends Chorus

Performing Arts at the Heart of Literacy Program

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National / International Membership

International students may apply to be an overseas member of the Choir. Those who are accepted have the opportunity to apply for a two-week residency during the season, the CD Recording Project, the International Arts/Peace Camp, and/or participate in an international tour.

To receive a national or international membership application, please contact us: info@worldchildrenschoir.org

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About the Choir Directors:

Sondra Harnes, WCC founder and artistic director, and her husband, James Selway, WCC associate director, both studied at the Juilliard School in New York City and earned their Master of Music degrees from The Catholic University of America. For the past 25 years, they have maintained a private studio in Falls Church, Virginia where they teach voice and Suzuki piano. In addition, both have performed and led workshops extensively throughout the United States and Canada. Mr. Selway, a baritone and an accomplished pianist, also specializes in directing and producing musical theater productions involving young people. He is a composer and writes frequently for the voice of the Choir. Ms. Harnes, a lyric soprano, has had an impressive career as a soloist and conductor.

Now her focus is on children: “My personal mission is to train children to sing beautifully and artistically, so they may open the hearts of people everywhere to what is possible if we come together as one family to make a better world. Jim and I firmly believe in the power of music and song to bring children and communities together, to celebrate diversity, and help us become better citizens. We truly believe the angelic voices of the children singing their beautiful songs of love and peace can help us break through our differences, and inspire all of us to work together to build a better world.”

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