Collaborative Concert with the Birmingham Boys Choir

The Phoenix Boys Choir in collaboration with the Birmingham Boys Choir will perform at 2:30pm Sunday June 26, 2022 at Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church, 3736 Montrose Rd, Mountain Brook, AL 35213. This is a FREE community concert for the whole family!

Their 74th season summer tour, On the Road: Arizona to West Virginia, celebrates the rich heritage and music of the American Southwest to the sounds of the Appalachia. This concert also features an eclectic mix of signature classical and contemporary choral works. Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to dance and sing in the aisles as they share stories of Appalachian music and lead us in popular folk & bluegrass tunes, including Man of Constant Sorrow, Coal Tattoo, Take Me Home Country Roads.  

About Phoenix Boys Choir

Founded in 1947, the Phoenix Boys Choir has programs featuring training in voice, music theory, and performance for boys age 7 to 18. The Phoenix Boys Choir, through educating boys in the art of singing and performing the finest music in the boy choir tradition, develops character, discipline, leadership, global awareness, and a strong commitment to excellence, thereby contributing to the greater Phoenix musical life and enhancing Arizona’s cultural reputation nationally and internationally. The Phoenix Boys Choir guarantees every member a world-class music education and one of the most significant experiences of his life. Currently, there are approximately 80 young boys and men participating.

Each year, the Phoenix Boys Choir offers a full season of concert performances offering a wide repertoire from classical to popular selections. They record CDs, participate in music festivals, sing with other professional groups and even host touring choirs. Members of the Phoenix Boys Choir have performed for four United States Presidents and with name entertainers such as Doc Severinsen, Stevie Wonder, and Keith Lockhart conducting the Boston Pops Orchestra.  

Artistic Director Herbert Washington is a Phoenix Boys Choir alumnus and previously served as the choir’s Town Director.  His varied and deep experiences in the choral arts provides the Phoenix Boys Choir the opportunity to embed the best of the choir’s past, while advancing and innovating our program so we remain relevant and impactful for today’s boys and their families.

Beginning with the Training Choir, boys can progress to Cadet, Town and Tour choirs, and upon graduation, participate in the Young Men’s Ensemble or Master’s Choir. When the boys reach the performance levels of Town and Tour Choir, they have the opportunity to travel nationally and internationally.

Mr. Herbert Washington – Artistic Director

Herbert Washington is the Harvey K. Smith Artistic Director and alumnus of the Grammy-Award winning Phoenix Boys Choir. Recognized for his dynamic teaching style and his ability to instill a love for the choral arts, he is a frequent choral clinician, conductor, lecturer, and adjudicator for regional festivals, workshops, and conferences around the country.  While working toward his Dual B.A. in Music and Fine Arts, he was a member of the St. Olaf Choir, conducted by Dr. Anton Armstrong, and directed “Voices of Praise,” the St. Olaf Gospel Choir. Mr. Washington went on to receive an M.M. in Choral Conducting from the University of Arizona. While under the mentorship of Dr. Elizabeth Schauer and Dr. Bruce Chamberlain at University of Arizona, Mr. Washington founded the all-male award winning ensemble, Cat-Call A Cappella before graduating in 2009.

Ms. Mary Price – Principal Accompanist

Ms. Mary Price earned her B.A. and M.A. in Vocal Music Education, with an emphasis in Collaborative Piano and Music Therapy at Central College as well as the University of Iowa.   Ms. Price has 32 years of experience in the general music education classroom, teaching in both Kansas and Arizona, as a teacher and choral director as well as a private piano and voice instructor.  She holds full certification in the Kodaly method and the Orff process and uses both regularly in her classroom in the Mesa Unified School District.  Ms. Price recently served as a collaborative pianist and music literacy instructor for the Phoenix Children’s Chorus before joining the staff of the Phoenix Boys Choir.