[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 156 (Saturday, November 8, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2249]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 WELCOMING THE WORLD RENOWNED ST. MICHAEL'S BOY'S CHOIR TO WASHINGTON, 
                                   DC

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES V. HANSEN

                                of utah

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, November 7, 1997

  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to 
announce that some very talented young individuals will visit the House 
of Representatives in early December to honor us with a short musical 
performance in the Cannon Caucus Room. The St. Michael's Boy's Choir, 
representing the St. Michael's Boy's Choir School from Toronto, Canada, 
is visiting the Washington, DC area and has agreed to perform a 
Christmas medley the afternoon of December 5.
  Mr. Speaker, please allow me to pass along some words of praise for 
this fine group of young people.
  Canada's St. Michael's Choir School has been internationally 
acclaimed and is considered to have one of the finest boy's choirs in 
the world. The 150 boys who made up the choir represent over 40 
different ethnic groups, and they come from many countries.
  The choir school, located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, offers 
training from grade 3 through grade 13, with a student body of over 370 
boys. The secondary school offers a 5-year arts and science program for 
the 98-percent of students who continue on to a university or college 
program. To qualify for admission to the choir school, students must 
have a good voice and a musical ear. Each boy has private piano lessons 
weekly and may also be invited to study pipe organ, violin, or 
classical guitar.
  The music program for this choir school was so highly regarded that 
it was accorded an affiliation with the Pontifical Institute of Scared 
Music in Rome, one of only six in the world. This affiliation, the only 
one accorded to a North American school, allows the authorization to 
grant degrees in sacred music.
  The Boy's Choir makes two trips a year out of Canada--one to Europe 
and one to the United States. Earlier this year, they were in Europe to 
sing at a major music festival where they were awarded first place and 
had the opportunity to sing before the Pope. Additionally, concert 
tours, recordings, radio and television appearances, and live 
performances have increased their visibility to the world audience. 
Their best known concert in Canada is the annual Christmas Concert 
which attracts over 8,000 people annually.
  Mr. Speaker, we are indeed fortunate to have these wonderful young 
men here on December 5 to sing for us in the Cannon Caucus Room. Brian 
Rae, their choir director, has told us his boys are excited and honored 
to be coming to our Nation's Capitol and are looking forward to their 
performance for the House of Representatives. I invite all my 
colleagues and their staffs to attend this wonderful event.

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