Viva! Youth Singers of Toronto present free lunchtime concert at Roy Thomson Hall

At 10 this season, Viva! Youth Singers of Toronto is one of the youngest of the many high-quality community choirs catering to children in the Greater Toronto Area. Like most large youth choruses, Viva divides the kids up by age and ability, giving the talented or hard-working the opportunity to move up into more challenging repertoire. Unlike most choirs, Viva also has a group for children with special needs.

The leaders and prime motivators are husband-and-wife team of Carol Woodward Ratzlaff, who teaches music at North Toronto Collegiate, and Brad Ratzlaff, the music director at Trinity-St. Paul's Church and artistic director of the Hart House Chorus.

You can be part of their birthday celebration by joining a free concert at noon today, at Roy Thomson Hall. There's no assigned seating.

With the help of organist-turned-pilot Michael Bloss, the "Main Chorus II" (last year's group is pictured above) and "Youth Choir" (the two cover ages 9 to 28) sing a 20th and 21st century British programme -- pieces by John Rutter, Bob Chilcott and James MacMillan, Herbert Howells and Kenneth Leighton -- capped by Oscar Peterson's Hymn to Freedom.