The San Francisco Boys Chorus and the San Francisco Girls Chorus will head to Washington D.C. on Jan. 20 to perform as part of the historic swearing-in ceremonies at the United States Capitol.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, chairman of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies for President-elect Barack Obama chose the two Grammy Award-winning choral music groups for their talent, embodiment of the American spirit and promise for the future.
"These two organizations provide musical training to hundreds of boys and girls every year and have delighted audiences around the world," Feinstein said in a prepared statement. "As a San Franciscan, I am particularly proud that these talented young people will have the opportunity to lend their voices to this historic event."
Ian Robertson, artistic director of the Boys Chorus and Susan McMane, artistic director of the Girls Chorus, called the invitation "the highest honor we could imagine."
"Performing for President Obama's inauguration focuses a major spotlight on the power of music and the arts to affect positive change in our country and the world and places the arts at their rightful place at the epicenter of American civic and cultural life," they said in a prepared statement.