Youth Choir meets this month

Pop medley featuring the work of Shawn Mendes will be among the selections

The Yuba Sutter Youth Choir will meet for the first time on June 15 at the Burrows Theater in Marysville.

Under the direction of music teacher Obie Leff, the program seeks to expose students to a variety of music.

“In addition to selections from the musical theater repertoire like ‘Annie’ and ‘ Les Misérables,’ we’ll also be working on a pop medley featuring the work of Shawn Mendes and a few of my original songs,” Leff said.

The program will continue through July 20, with the final performance on July 27. The themes for the two performances are “Growing Together” for the 7-10 age group and “Beyond Broadway” for the 11-14 group.

The Yuba Sutter Youth Choir is part of Yuba Sutter Arts’ Arts in Education program.

Leff has taught music in Yuba-Sutter for more than 20 years. He directs the music program at Twin Rivers Charter School in Yuba City, which includes classroom music for students in grades kindergarten to fourth and choir programs for students in grades fourth to eighth.

Assisting Leff with the Youth Choir will be Alex Cesena, who has performed in numerous productions around Yuba-Sutter and has recently returned from a three-year international engagement with The Young Americans.

All classes will start at 7 p.m. and be held on Thursdays at the Burrows Theater, 624 E St., Marysville, through July 20.

Cost for the summer session is $50 per student.

“I think the lyrics from ‘Why We Sing’ by Greg Gilpin, one of the songs I’ll be teaching, sort of says it all,” Leff said. “Music builds a bridge; it can tear down a wall! Music is a language, than can speak to one and all! This is why we sing, why we lift our voice, why we stand as one in harmony.”

For more information, call 7422787.