Our History

The North Carolina Boys Choir was founded in 1971 by Dr. William J. Graham, in Durham, NC, who directed the choir until late 2014.  The Choir was originally named as the Durham Boychoir.

In 1980s, the Choir joined with the college and university choirs of Meredith and North Carolina State, and the North Carolina Symphony Orchestra in three performances of Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem. On the first day of performance, in 1983, Governor James B. Hunt designated the choir as the North Carolina Boys Choir.

In 1992 the chamber ensemble of tenors and basses was founded to supplement the touring concert choir. The ensemble is geared toward graduates of the concert choir, area men, and fathers of boys in the concert choir.

In the spring of 2011, the Boys Choir started an entire new chapter in its history… the addition of a girls choir. The girls choir was founded to enrich and expand the choral excellence of this choral institution.  Today, our advanced girls choir named Prima Girls,  stands out and shines all on its own, performing a rich girls choir repertoire and joining our Concert Boys Choir  in various performances.

Through the years, the Choir has sung with all the area’s major choral groups such as the Duke Chapel Choir, Choral Society of Durham, Choirs of Meredith College, North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. They have also sung with the North Carolina Symphony. The Choir has toured regionally, nationally and internationally. The Choir has appeared on a number of area TV specials including “Christmas at the Governor’s Mansion” and “North Carolina People with William Friday.”

In summer 2014, the Choir sang at Carnegie Hall in New York City. In 2016, participated in the Requiem by Faure; and recently collaborated with Choral Society of Durham, Duke Chapel Choir, and Riverside High School Chorus for performance of Te Deum by Berlioz at Duke Chapel. In May 2017, the Choir was featured at the Spoleto Festival, Charleston, SC.

In December 2019, the Choir collaborated with Voices, the Chapel Hill Chorus of a hundred voices strong, and orchestra to sing Honegger – Christmas Cantata, Finzi – In terra pax, and Vaughan Williams – Fantasia on Christmas Carols.

The North Carolina Boys Choir and Girls Choir’s mission is to provide life-enhancing experiences through the study and performance of great choral music. The Choir strives to inspire a lifelong enjoyment of singing and encourage singing both in the family and throughout the community.