Denver Children's Choir

Guest Artists

Guest Conductor: M. Roger Holland, II

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The Denver Children’s Choir is proud to welcome and introduce the guest conductor for our Songs of the Season performance on Dec. 3rd at Wellshire Presbyterian Church, M. Roger Holland, II. Roger will be working with our premier ensembles several times prior to the concert and will conduct three songs at the performance.


M. Roger Holland, II is a Teaching Associate Professor in Music and Religion and Director of The Spirituals Project at the Lamont School of Music, University of Denver. A graduate of Union Theological Seminary in New York City where he received the Master of Divinity degree, Roger also served as Artist-in-Residence and director of the Union Gospel Choir for over 13 years. In 2015 Union awarded him the Trailblazers Distinguished Alumni Award, the first given to a graduate whose ministry is music, for his contributions to the legacy of African American music. He received a Master’s Degree in Piano Performance from the Manhattan School of Music, also in New York, and completed his undergraduate work at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey where he majored in Music Education with a concentration in piano and voice.

Roger is editor of the In Spirit and Truth series published by GIA Publications, Inc., which reflects the aesthetic of Black Catholic worship. Commissioned works include The Dream and The Dreamer, The Tribulation Suite, and The Call. Original music collections published by GIA include “Building Up the Kingdom,” featuring the single “Worthy God,” and his recent collection, “Honey from the Rock, Vol. 1-4” He has played for the Broadway productions of Oprah Winfrey’s The Color Purple and the Tony award winning show, Memphis. In November 2016 Timothy Cardinal Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York presented Roger with the Pierre Toussaint Medallion for service. He is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in pastoral music.

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Alum Feature: Ben Brady

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Our wonderful alumni from the past 27 years are busy working in careers around the globe – everything from education to e-commerce to social work to singing! This month, we are happy to share some memories from a DCC alum from the early 2000s.

Originally from Denver, CO, Bass-baritone Ben Brady received his bachelor’s of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Michigan.

We were pleased to have Ben share his gifts at a private fundraising event in December 2022 where we introduced the DCC to new supporters from across the city. Ben credits the Denver Children’s Choir with being a major reason he pursued a career as a professional musician.

Side note as you are reading: the Denver Children’s Choir (DCC) was formerly called the Rocky Mountain Children’s Choir (RMCC) when Ben was a member.

Before we begin, how about an ice-breaker: since the interview will be posted on Valentine’s Day, what is your favorite February 14th memory?
Last year comes to mind: Ali (my wife) and I went to a show and I was pulled onstage for a musical number and was promptly dressed up as cupid complete with an adult-sized diaper! (which I still have…)

Where are you and what are you up to now? Any musical connections?
I’m still making music every day, pursuing a career as an opera singer, and traveling all around the world.

What was your favorite part of RMCC/DCC?
The community – such a joy to make music with other young singers from all over Denver.

What do you think is the most important thing the DCC does?
Brings the program to areas all over the greater Denver area, making it accessible to families who can’t easily transport themselves to rehearsals.

In what ways did RMCC/DCC impact you?
I joined RMCC before I knew how much singing would be a part of my life. It’s safe to say RMCC was one of the first major influences on my path as a singer.

Anything else you’d like to include/say?
Thank so you much for all you continue to do to keep young choirs thriving in Denver!

This summer Ben covers Don Basilio in The Barber of Seville as a first-year Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Artist. Mr. Brady was a participant in San Francisco Opera’s Merola Young Artist Program in the summer of 2021. Operatic roles include Colline (La Boheme) with Opera Modesto, Banco (Macbetto), Zaccaria (Nabucco) and Rocco (Fidelio) with West Bay Opera, the Sprecher (The Magic Flute) with Eugene Opera, Dr. Dulcamara (L’elisir d’amore) with Cal Baptist University and the Page in San Francisco Opera’s Roberto Devereux.

​Read more about Ben, and follow his career on his website.

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Guest Artist: Bobby LeFebre

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DCC Guest Artist Bobby LeFebre (photo credit: Amanda Piela)

We were honored to premiere a new work with lyrics by Colorado Poet Laureate Bobby LeFebre at our Harmony of Children concert on May 7, 2022. Not only are the lyrics composed by Bobby, but the poem was written after he met with each of our choirs virtually during the 2020-2021 school year.

During that year of virtual choir, he “zoomed” in with each group in order to recite poetry, give some perspective on the importance of the arts in our lives, and also hear student poetry. He also shared how he too had participated in choral programs and musical theater while growing up in Denver. 

At the end of the meetings, Bobby took time to review some responses to a survey answered by choir members. Questions included “what are you struggling with?” and “what are you proud of?” and “how does singing make you feel?” The end result is a poem “We are the ones” that reflects the positivity, dedication, and potential in each of our singers.

Bobby LeFebre performs with Denver Children’s Choir

We Are The Ones
Poem by Bobby LeFebre, Colorado Poet Laureate
Choral composition by Katie Sakanai, Denver Children’s Choir
Piano realization by Tony Domenick

This morning
as the sun awoke
it stretched its arms across the sky
I opened my heart –
the sound of ambition
vivid like imagination
dancing in my mind

For what is future– potential
what is hereafter – a promise
what is a vision – a purpose
in my mind?

We are the ones we have been waiting for
We are the ones with fire in our eyes
We are the ones with hope strapped to our dreams
We are the ones, we are the ones

This morning
As the world spins
We are planting seeds of joy
We too are the light
fireflies of midnight
if only they saw our brilliance
if they saw our shine
If you would listen – then you’d hear
If you would notice – then you’d see
If you could open your heart to
what we know

We are the ones we have been waiting for
We are the ones with fire in our eyes
We are the ones with hope strapped to our dreams
We are the ones, we are the ones

Yesterday’s road was hard
A hill we had to climb
We lost a lot along the way
But we can see tomorrow smiling in our hearts
A star in a clear dark sky
A flower growing ever toward the light

We are the ones we have been waiting for
We are the ones with fire in our eyes
We are the ones with hope strapped to our dreams
We are the ones, we are the ones

About Bobby
Bobby LeFebre is an award-winning writer, performer and cultural worker fusing a non-traditional multi-hyphenated professional identity to imagine new realities, empower communities, advance arts and culture, and serve as an agent of provocation, transformation, equity and social change. LeFebre’s work has appeared in The New York Times, Huffington Post, The Guardian, American Theater Magazine, NPR, and Poets.Org. In 2019, LeFebre was named Colorado’s 8th Poet Laureate, making him the youngest and first person of color to be appointed to the position in its 100-year history. LeFebre was named a National Catalyst for Change Fellow in 2020 and an Academy of American Poets Poet Laureate Fellow in 2021. LeFebre holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the Metropolitan University of Denver and a master’s degree in Art, Literature and Culture from the University of Denver.

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