Tickets are still available for the Vienna Boys Choir performance in Ocean City this December, which was planned through an initiative by the Ocean Pines Recreation and Parks Department.
Members of the Vienna Boys Choir are pictured. The Ocean Pines rec and parks department has booked the international choral group to perform on Dec. 10 at the convention center in Ocean City.
Submitted photo
By Tara Fischer, Staff Writer
The Vienna Boys Choir will perform in Ocean City this December, per an initiative planned by the Ocean Pines Recreation and Parks Department. Tickets are now on sale.
The concert will be held on Tuesday, December 10, at 7 p.m. in Roland E. Powell Convention Center’s performing arts space in Ocean City. OPA Parks and Recreation Event Coordinator Kevin Powell said roughly half of the 1,200 tickets initially available are still up for grabs.
The price to attend the show ranges from $40 to $70, with seats near the stage more expensive and the higher-level spots cheaper. Tickets can be obtained at Vienna Boys Choir – Performing Christmas In Vienna.
The singing group performs over 300 concerts a year around the world and is comprised of boys aged nine to 14 from across the globe, divided into four touring choirs.
While the Vienna Boys Choir is one of the most famous choruses, it is also among the oldest. Marketing materials from Powell say that its origins date back to at least 1296 when boys would sing at Vienna’s Imperial Chapel. Two hundred years later, Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I established a Court Chapel in Vienna, which paved the path for the choir, declaring that boys were to be included in the space’s singing.
Today, the Vienna Boys Choir is a private, nonprofit organization that generates funds through donations, shows, and sponsorships. The group exists on a campus that includes a primary and grammar school focused on choral music and singing. Approximately 330 boys and girls between six and 19 attend the learning facility, each receiving individual voice lessons.
The group is now bringing its talents to the Eastern Shore, performing its Christmas in Vienna setlist, which is full of Austrian folk songs, classic pieces, and familiar favorites.
“It is going to be a great event that will spread Christmas cheer,” Powell said. “We need some positivity in our environment… It is their first time in Ocean City, and they are one of the greatest choirs on the planet.”
Powell was inspired to bring the choir to Ocean City after seeing the group perform in Richmond, Virginia. The original hope was the event would take place at a church, but a larger facility was required to meet the capacity needs of attendees and the chorus.
A grand piano was rented from Cunningham Piano Company in Delmar, Delaware, and local community member and entertainment manager Bob Rothermel will handle lighting and sound for the event.
The Ocean Pines Recreation and Parks Department, in collaboration with the Ocean City convention center, is thrilled to be hosting the famous Vienna Boys Choir.
“If you’re looking for one of the best concerts you’ll ever listen to, this is it,” Powell said. “It is a world-renowned choir. Let’s pack the house for them and make them feel welcome. They will put on a great show for us.”