A city-wide children's choir program for boys and girls, ages 8 through 14, The Nashville Children's Choir organization is committed to the rehearsal and performance of quality choral music in a positive and affirming setting. The choir functions in cooperation with Belmont University and is a part of the pre-college music program, the Belmont Academy. The Nashville Children's Choir Program includes four choirs -- the Touring Choir, the Concert Choir, the Preparatory Choir and the Nashville Youth Choir. Children accepted into the Nashville Children's Choir Program are placed in the choir appropriate to their age and ability.

The Touring Choir fills a dual role as a quality choral organization and as an ambassador of good will, performing frequently throughout Nashville and Middle Tennessee with groups such as The Nashville Opera, The Nashville Symphony, The Middle Tennessee Choral Society, and recording artists Reba McEntire, Joe Diffy, and Riders in the Sky. They also sang for three performances with the Nashville Ballet and at the Governor's Prayer Breakfast. Destinations for the Touring Choir in recent years have included San Antonio, Toronto, St. Louis, New York City, Boston, San Francisco, and Chicago. The choir has been invited to sing for national conferences of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association and MENC: The National Association for Music Education. The Touring Choir recorded three CDs -- one of Christmas music with the Iliad recording label, a 10th anniversary CD titled

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Music of Your Life, and our most recent anniversary CD, 15 Years with the Nashville Children's Choir. An ensemble from the choir recorded "When You Wish Upon a Star" with the Centurymen on the "Anthems in Disguise" CD. NCC ensembles have also recorded numerous songs for the Silver Burdett elementary music textbook series recordings produced by Buryl Red.

The Nashville Children's Choir was founded in 1989 by Marilyn Shadinger and Frederica Braidfoot. The Touring Choir is directed by Madeline Bridges and Brenda Jewell. The Concert Choir is directed by Roberta Rodgers, and the Preparatory Choir is directed by Elaine Bailey-Fryd. In addition to their Nashville Children's Choir roles, these directors are also active as leaders of church music programs, teachers, authors, choral clinicians, and workshop leaders. Directors Rodgers and Bailey-Fryd currently teach elementary music in the Middle Tennessee area, and Mrs. Jewell directs middle and upper school choirs at Franklin Road Academy. Dr. Bridges teaches in the area of music education and is Associate Dean for Academic Studies for Belmont University's School of Music. Mr. Robert King, who is Director of Choral Activities at David Lipscomb High School and a noted clinician and adjudicator in the area of high school choral music, directs the Youth Choir.

Auditions for the Nashville Children's Choir Program occur each spring for the following school year. Weekly rehearsals during the school year provide exciting music making opportunities for students from approximately twenty-five area schools.

For more information regarding our choirs and policies, please see the Handbook.