Professional Chorus to Teach Hampton At-Risk Youth

Professional Chorus to Teach Hampton At-
Risk Youth

Bell Atlantic Foundation Underwrites Workshop with $10,000
Grant

September 9, 1999

HAMPTON, Va. -- About 50 at-risk young people from Hampton will
learn firsthand about singing from a professional choral group, thanks to a
$10,000 grant from the Bell Atlantic Foundation.

"This is a tremendous enrichment opportunity for those young
people who otherwise may never have the chance to experience choral
singing. This workshop could generate that single spark that will ignite a
life-long interest in music and the arts," said Michael Curry, director
of the Hampton Arts Foundation.

The youngsters, aged 12 to 17, will be divided into two groups to spend an
hour with Pieces of Eight, a widely acclaimed professional chorus from St.
Louis, Mo. At the Nov. 12 workshop, the youth will learn about the
elements of music and will have the opportunity to sing with the chorus.

The youth also will be invited to attend a performance of Pieces of Eight
the following evening. The group is appearing at First Presbyterian
Church in Hampton as part of the Great Performers series.

The Bell Atlantic grant will be awarded to the Hampton Arts Foundation,
in support of its Artists in Residency Program. It's one of over 50 grants,
totaling nearly $400,000, that the Bell Atlantic Foundation is making in
Virginia this year to support arts and culture.

The Bell Atlantic Foundation supports a variety of projects domestically
and internationally, with an emphasis on new technology applications in
education, health and
human services, the arts and humanities, and civic development in the
communities served
by Bell Atlantic. For more information, visit
www.bellatlanticfoundation.com on the Internet.

Bell Atlantic is at the forefront of the new communications and information
industry. With more than 43 million telephone access lines and nearly 10 million
wireless customers worldwide, Bell Atlantic companies are premier providers of
advanced wireline voice and data services, market leaders in wireless services
and the world's largest publishers of directory information. Bell Atlantic
companies are also among the world's largest investors in high-growth global
communications markets, with operations and investments in 23 countries.