The Santa Barbara Children’s Chorus will perform an All Schools Chorus debut concert at 3 p.m. this Saturday in the auditorium at La Colina Junior High School, 4025 Foothill Road in Santa Barbara.

Admission is free, but a suggested donation of $6.

For more information, click here, email assistant@sbchildrenschorus.com or call 805.512.9840.

Six schools strong will sing six contemporary tunes plus one in the first All Schools Chorus concert. More than 100 children will be on stage along with special appearances from La Colina’s OutBurst Group and Santa Barbara Children’s Chorus Concert Chorus directed by Erin Bonski Evans.

The elementary schools and teachers participating throughout Santa Barbara and Goleta are Adams Elementary with Nadia Stehmeier, Cleveland Elementary with Kearney Vander Sal, Foothill Elementary with Susannah Hoffman, La Colina Junior High with Shannon Saleh and Monroe Elementary with Elisabeth “Liz” Caruso.

With funding provided by the Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation, the Santa Barbara Children’s Chorus launched a new program this year to bring choral music education into the local elementary schools. This concert is the culmination of the new program.

Since last fall, these six schools have received materials and instructions on how to get a choral group together. Teachers at those schools recruit students for their own chorus and have learned six contemporary choral songs. All this work culminates with an all-day music workshop for the schools with the public performance as the crescendo of the hours of work, study and song.

The Santa Barbara Children’s Chorus is a countywide, nondenominational music education and performing organization for children ages 5 to 14. It provides children of the community with the opportunity for musical training and performing in a fun and challenging environment. Founded in 1993, SBCC will be here for years to come to serve children. With the continuing decline in funding for school-based music programs, especially in the elementary and secondary school levels, SBCC is dedicated to filling a vital gap in bringing the benefits of music and vocal performance to children.

Click here for more information.

— Maureen McFadden is a publicist representing the Santa Barbara Children’s Chorus.