The Singing Angels is a non-profit organization

Non-profit organization

Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...

 rooted in Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...

, dedicated to youth developing the highest level of artistic achievement in the performing arts

Performing arts

The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...

.

History

The Singing Angels was founded in 1964 by Bill Boehm who wished to create a program that would bring children of various ages and backgrounds together to learn and perform "good" music. Our young members, ages 6 to 18, will sing and dance their way into your heart with their family-oriented and highly entertaining concerts. Members of The Singing Angels come from 7+ Ohio counties in the greater Cleveland-Akron metropolitan area, and are ambassadors representing the best in Northeast Ohio area musical youth. After the first holiday season, The Singing Angels were in demand all year round and performed at many types of local programs including church fund raisers and business conferences in downtown hotels. The Lakeside Summer Art Festival became an annual performance in 1965. The group’s first television special was made for Christmas 1967 at WEWS-TV and repeated in 1968. In 1969, the Angels had their first Command Performance at the White House. That Christmas, Wayne Newton

Wayne Newton

Wayne Newton is an American singer and entertainer based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He performed over 30,000 solo shows in Las Vegas over a period of over 40 years, earning him the nicknames The Midnight Idol, Mr. Las Vegas and Mr. Entertainment...

 introduced them to the nation on the Kraft Music Hall Special on NBC

NBC

The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...

. The Singing Angels’ first international tour was to Romania

Romania

Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...

 in 1974.

The first rehearsal hall was in the Statler Hotel, followed by the old downtown Cleveland YMCA

YMCA

The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...

. In 1970, the Angels made the Cleveland Fire Training Academy their musical home. Today, they rehearse in the Cleveland Masonic Temple.

Throughout the group's history the Angels have performed for millions of people as they sang in over 30 foreign countries, starting with their first official tour to Romania. Subsequent tours included China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

 in 1983, where the Angels sang at the Great Wall of China

Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in northern China, built originally to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire against intrusions by various nomadic groups...

. This was in an era when United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 visitors were strictly prohibited in the communist country. In July 2000 the Angels were the sole representatives of the United States at the World Fair Expo 2000, held in Hanover, Germany. The Singing Angels' signature song "Let There Be Peace On Earth" was heard in several pavilions hosted by other nations.

The Singing Angels have been featured on national and international television, have performed four times at the White House

White House

The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...

 and have appeared in concert with a host of superstars, including Bob Hope

Bob Hope

Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...

, Kenny Rogers

Kenny Rogers

Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...

, Wayne Newton, Celine Dion

Celine Dion

Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...

, B.J. Thomas, Roberta Flack, and most recently The Barenaked Ladies

Barenaked Ladies

Barenaked Ladies is a Canadian alternative rock band. The band is currently composed of Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Ed Robertson, and Tyler Stewart. Barenaked Ladies formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario, then a suburban municipality outside the City of Toronto...

.

Their 1973 single, "Christmas Is Christmas All Over The World", is one of the songs selected for the classic Yule Log Christmas special originally aired by WPIX-TV in New York.

In the early days of The Singing Angels, Jerome Gross, surgeon, violinist and Director of The Cleveland Friends of Music, said, "The Singing Angels demonstrate Democracy in Action Through Music." That was known as the first motto of The Singing Angels. In the mid-1990s, the motto was updated to "Make Music. Make Friends. Make A Difference."

The three hundred Singing Angels present over 100 programs annually, which include many community service programs that benefit local programs such as WDOK's Cleveland Feed-A-Family, the American Red Cross

American Red Cross

The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...

, and Make-A-Wish Foundation

Make-A-Wish Foundation

The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a 501 non-profit organization founded in the United States that grants wishes to children who have life-threatening medical conditions. The charity now operates in forty-seven countries around the world through thirty-six affiliate offices.The president & CEO of this...

. From the founding in 1964, the Singing Angels have always worked hard to give back to the community. From benefit concerts to food drives, those involved in Angels recognize the importance of being an active participant in community affairs. The Annual "Reserve Chorus Christmas Caroling Crusade" is but one example of the group's commitment to service. The Angels provide at least 30 programs yearly free of charge to area nursing homes and hospitals.

The Singing Angels' annual December Caroling Crusades is a thirty-year tradition that consists of teams of Training Chorus members performing at more than forty area nursing homes free of charge.
The Singing Angels present two annual self-produced concerts, the Spring Benefit Concert and a Holiday Spectacular. The major productions, currently held at the historically renovated theatres of Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio, feature a repertoire of Broadway show tunes, patriotic songs, spirituals, contemporary pop, and barbershop harmony. The Angels' concerts are performed with skill and vitality, complete with precise choreography. The current artistic director of the Singing Angels is Charles Eversole, a former Angel himself!

Founder

William C. (Bill) Boehm, Founding Director, started the Singing Angels in 1964 to promote the action and joy of singing good music particularly amongst children. He holds a Master's Degree in Dramatic Arts from Western Reserve University. Bill was the first staging director of Cleveland Music Carnival Arena theatre, starring in Herman Pirchner's Alpine Village, and had more than 5,000 personal stage appearances. Other highlights of Bill's career have included appearances as soloist with the Cleveland Symphony "Pops" Concerts; Singing Star of Chicago Theatre of the Air and tenor lead in the NBC-TV production of "Macbeth". In 1977, he was awarded the prestigious Ohio State Governor's Award "for excellence of achievement benefiting mankind and improving the quality of life for all Ohioans." Bill was a Captain in the Infantry in World War II and is a past President of the Rotary Club of Cleveland.

Today he no longer needs to arrange the choreography and plan the notes, because he can rest knowing that his creation is thriving and poised for even greater achievements.In recent years, he has transitioned out of that highly visible position and worked increasingly on longer-term projects, sitting, for instance, on the committee that, with the help of expert non-profit consultants, forged the group’s Long Range Strategic Plan, approved by the Board of Directors in November, 2002. The group dedicated much of its 40th Anniversary Season to his unique contribution to Cleveland and, indeed, the world. A special ceremony during the Spring Benefit Concert, for example, featured alumni from each decade of the group paying moving tributes to him. And the group also recently created The Singing Angels William C. Boehm Endowment Fund to provide long-term funding so that future generations of young people could benefit from his vision.

Though he is entering a new phase of his life, Mr. Boehm will always be remembered as the “Founding Director” of the Singing Angels, and will hold the status of “Director Emeritus” in honor of his great past achievements and contributions. And though Mr. Boehm is no longer involved in the operations of the group - whose artistic mission is being carried out under the guidance of Performing Chorus Music Director (and Angel alumnus) Charles Eversole, Reserve Chorus Music Director (and Angel alumna) Heather Liuzzo, along with the group’s other trained music educators as part of the group’s strategic plan - his values, and the lessons learned from him, will continue to guide and teach all of those who are part of this organization.

His past contributions to, and leadership of, this community treasure, have educated and trained another generation about what it takes to make a success of this very special group and to support the hundreds of young people each year who take part. That generation of alumni – passionate in their conviction as to the value of the Singing Angels as a community asset – has stepped up to accept the “passing of the baton” from Mr. Boehm in order to ensure that future generations of Greater Cleveland can continue to Make Music, Make Friends, and Make a Difference with Cleveland’s own Singing Angels.

Supporting the Angels

The Singing Angels depend on the generosity of their friends and benefactors to maintain this unique program, which has transformed the lives of thousands of young people in our area. Income from program fees and tuition covers only a small portion of our cost. Your financial support will help to advance the unique opportunity offered to children from throughout our region.
The Singing Angels is the musical voice of the Northern Ohio Children's Performing Music Foundation, Inc., a registered non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. The foundation is governed by a 11-member Board of Directors. Our original non-profit determination letter was issued on February 10, 1966, and was reissued on June 6, 1996.

Contributions made payable to "The Singing Angels" are fully tax-deductible. Please mail to: The Singing Angels, 3615 Euclid Avenue, #4, Cleveland, Ohio 44115. A receipt will be mailed to you. If you have any questions about making a donation, please call The Singing Angels at (216) 432-5555.

Recordings

2009 The Singing Angels: Unplugged

2005 Somewhere in My Memory - 40 Years of Holidays with the Singing Angels

2004 Walking on Sunshine

2001 God Bless the USA

2000 Happiness

1998 We Wish You the Merriest

1993 And The Angels Sing

1987 Getting Ready for Christmas

1984 Make Someone Happy

1983 Jolly, Holly Days

1981 Christmas in the Air

1981 Get Happy

1980 Children of the World

1979 Great Day

1977 Finally It’s Christmas

1976 Sing America

1974 Tenth Anniversary

1973 Christmas Is Christmas All Over The World (single)

1972 Bill Boehm’s Singing Angels

Alumni

The Singing Angels experience lasts long after the music has stopped, providing lessons and memories for a lifetime. Many alumni are still involved in the Singing Angels and even have their children enrolled in The Singing Angels.

One notable alum of The Singing Angels, who has continued in music, is Lance Williams of the rock band Darling Waste

Darling Waste

Darling Waste is an American rock band, sometimes considered to be an emo, popcore, powerpop, or pop-rock band, consisting of singer-songwriter/guitarist/pianist Lance Williams, multi-instrumentalist/producer/engineer Jason Lustig, and a rotating lineup of collaborators and studio musicians...

.

Laura Fedor continues to pursue her musical dreams and was a contestant on NBC's Nashville Star with her best friend Sophie.
She is currently on Teddy Gentry's Best New Nashville CD, available at Cracker Barrel restaurants.

Daryl Waters (former Singing Angels youth pianist) won a 2010 Tony Award for Best Orchestrations for Memphis and was nominated for a 1996 Tony Award for Best Original Score for Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk