MONACO – June 7, 2002 -- A perennial favorite on the European choral concert circuit, the Little Singers of Monaco are coming to Philadelphia this summer for free performances at venues all around town. Highlighting the Singers’ Philadelphia to-do list is a concert at The Philadelphia Cathedral on July 15th at 8:00 PM and an afternoon concert at the New Hope, PA Bastille Day Celebration on July 14th. Following their stay in Philadelphia, the boys’ choir will head to New York City, where they will display their homeland’s solidarity with the United States by singing “God Bless America” at Yankee Stadium before a July 18th ballgame.

The Little Singers’ 2002 North American tour is particularly significant as it commemorates the 20th anniversary of the death of H.S.H. Princess Grace of Monaco, Monaco’s beloved American-born princess and native of Philadelphia. The tour will include free concerts in major cities including Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., as well as several stops in-between. With musical traditions dating back to the reign of Monaco’s Prince Antoine 1st(1701-1731), the Little Singers were created to showcase the Principality’s historic association with culture and the performing arts.

This award winning group -- part of the Monaco Cathedral Choir -- is composed of talented children as young as eight years old, who have passed rigorous examinations to be admitted into the prestigious ensemble. Known especially for their repertoire of works written for children, the Little Singers have visited over 25 nations around LITTLE SINGERS 2002 / 2 the world. Because of the generous support of the Monégasque government, the choir is able to donate its talents to concerts organized on behalf of humanitarian associations worldwide. In 2001, the Little Singers raised money for New York’s Twin Towers Fund through a series of local concerts in Monaco.

The Little Singers have taken part in a number of important events, including their 1997 performance during celebrations marking the 700th anniversary of the reign of the Grimaldi Dynasty, a Christmas concert at the Vatican, and the choir’s first-ever visit to South Africa. In 1999, the Little Singers appeared live from Rockefeller Center on NBC’s Today Show. Included on their program are works by Mendelssohn, Bach, Charpentier and Fauré, as well as various Monégasque folk songs. The Little Singers will also perform a series of patriotic American songs, including “God Bless America” and “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

For information on the Little Singers of Monaco’s upcoming summer concert series, call the Monaco Government Tourist Office at (800) 753-9696 or e-mail MGTO@monaco1.org.