‘Really cool to be a part of that tradition’: Members of the Boston Children’s Chorus talk about participating in the Boston Pops

They may be young but their voices are powerful We really feel the need to express our hope for our country and our vision for what we want for the country right now announced singer Liana Min The Boston s Children s Chorus is practicing to perform alongside the Boston Pops for this year s Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular I feel like I have to do my best so a lot of people can get the message of these songs reported singer Binyam Tsegai Friday s show will mark a triumphant return for the chanting group In the chorus performed with the Pops at the Hatch Shell It s a moment a multitude of of the teens have been waiting for their whole lives I ve been in Boston since I was born so it s really cool to be a part of that tradition revealed Min I ve inevitably watched the Boston Pops and so knowing that I m gonna be on that stage like I m gonna be a part of this big event that was like really exciting declared Tsegai There s no shortage of hard work that goes into preparing for an event like this just ask their director Oh a lot announced Boston Children s Chorus Music Director Kenneth Griffith Lots of time and effort from repertoire planning on the artistic end of things to scheduling time for our singers And to really nail down the specifics of every piece and not just the music but also the emotion behind it Perhaps one of the majority emotional pieces this group will perform is called Sea to Shining Sea written by Falmouth native and Wellesley College graduate Katharine Lee Bates It s a take on America the Beautiful Pops conductor Keith Lockhart says the message is from long ago and still rings true in the modern day Katharine Lee Bates was a fascinating person who saw a lot of the injustice and economic disparities of the gilded age and was brave enough to speak out about them Lockhart noted There is a lot more to that song There are verses that no one knows So we learn a bit more in this piece about the woman behind the words and the meanings in the rest of the poem The kids in the chorus admit they are a little star struck and can t wait to share the stage with Broadway icon Leslie Odom Jr I m a big Hamilton fan and when I determined out we d be performing with him I was like really excited mentioned Tsegai There were lots of screams my mom sent me several very excited texts declared Min All of us are so so excited and fan girling like crazy Contentment and excitement they hope to share with all Americans celebrating this Independence Day