Costa Mesa-based boys chorus lends voices to ‘It’s Your 50th Christmas, Charlie Brown’
For the boys in The All-American Boys Chorus, the weeks leading up to Christmas are always the busiest time of the year.
This season, the schedules of a select group of the 125-member chorus, founded in Costa Mesa 45 years ago, are even more packed because the singers will be part of a national TV special, the holiday retrospective “It’s Your 50th Christmas, Charlie Brown.”
The young vocalists, ranging in age from 11 to 13, will help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Peanuts animated tale “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” adding their prerecorded voices to a show that will feature musical guests Sarah McLachlan, Matthew Morrison and Kristin Chenoweth.
The anniversary special, which will air at 8 p.m. Monday on the ABC television network, will be hosted by actress Kristen Bell. It will feature live performances of Vince Guaraldi’s Peanuts musical classics.
“We’re incredibly excited,” said Wes Martin, artistic director of The All-American Boys Chorus. “We’re very grateful for this opportunity.”
The chance to have their voices heard on television, Martin said, is thanks to David Benoit, a Grammy-nominated jazz pianist and composer who has recorded more than 30 albums featuring artists like Faith Hill, Kenny Loggins and Brian McKnight.
Two years ago, Benoit needed a children’s choir when he was scheduled to perform at Carpenter Performing Arts Center. The All-American Boys Chorus became that singing group.
And when Benoit talked about a television special this year and needed a children’s choir, he contacted The All-American Boys Chorus.
“I was just knocked out how nice they were and how in pitch they were,” Benoit said Tuesday. “They sounded great.”
To prepare for the show’s audio recordings, Martin said, he selected 18 of the boys to record the tracks in a Hollywood studio with Sarah McLachlan and an a cappella group Pentatonix.
Then he chose another group of 18 boys to film a scene in Burbank. He said two or three boys were part of both groups.
Martin said he based his casting on the level of a boy’s maturity in voice and discipline to get the work done.
The year has been an especially good one for the red-jacket-clad boys. They performed concerts at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., and at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City.
They also recorded “Believe,” the Charlie Brown Christmas album with Benoit, and produced their sixth studio album, which will be released in 2016.
And in December, the musical group will embark on a seven-city concert tour in Japan, performing in Kyoto, Tokyo and Osaka.
They’ll host their annual Christmas concert on Dec. 13 at Soka University of America in Aliso Viejo.
The chorus, which has sung for six U.S. presidents and with noted conductor John Williams and the Vienna Boys’ Choir, routinely hold rehearsals, music reading classes and vocal lessons, said Martin. The boys hail from all parts of Orange County, the Inland Empire and Long Beach.
Each member must complete training courses and memorize 39 songs before he can wear the signature red jacket.
And when not rehearsing or singing, Martin said, the boys have their regular school assignments to work on.
When they went to film in Burbank, Martin said, the production staff had set aside tables and chairs for the boys to complete schoolwork.
Benoit stopped by to say hi and asked if anyone had questions.
“One rose his hand and asked if he could help him with his Spanish homework,” Martin said with a laugh. “We’re just all looking forward to seeing them and hearing them on television spreading good cheer.”
