Figure 1.--The PCCB is seen here with President Eisnhower sometime in the 1950s visiting the White House during one of their many trips to America. I'm not sure, but it looks like about 1959. Click on the image for a photograph from a 1947 trip.

The PCCB as one of the best known choirs in France has been invited to perform in countries all over the world. This extensive travel began in the inter-war period, but has become much more extensive since the Worl War II and the advent of easy air travel. For many of the boys this is one of the most interesting aspects of participating in the choir. The choir travels in their trade-mark blue sweater, shorts, and white kneesocks. They choristers have beem hosted by important and well known persons throughout the world during their various trips. There were many trips to perormances both within France and in neighboring countrie. There were also trips to more distant countries. There were many trips to America, 1931, 35, 47, 50, 53, 55, 57, 59, 62, 78, 90, and so forth, There were trips to many other countries such as Japan and Korea: 1957, 67, 71, 74, 77, 79, 80, 82, 84, 85, 87, 89, ect ... We do not have much information on the early trips. One trip we note is a trip to the United States in 1953. More information is available on the more recent trips. The PCCB visited China in 1986, the first European boys choir to do so.

1931

The PCCB as one of the best known choirs in France has been invited to perform in countries all over the world.This extensive travel began in the inter-war period with a trip to America in 1931. These trans-Atlantic trips in the 1940s would have been done by ocean liners.

1935

The Choir made heuir second trip to America in 1935. They gave several concerts in New York with great succes. The boys were familiar with Paris and used to big cities. New York Cty with its skyscrapers wereca fantastic experience for the boys. Some enjoyed rollar skating on New York City sidewalks which was recorded in a famous photograph. The boys are wearing their blue sweaters and shorts, but not the white knee socks they began wearing after World War II.

1938

We notice a trip to Germany (1938). The boys visited Heldeberg and were photographed viewing the Rhine.

1940-43

A French reader tells about the Choir after the German invasion. "L'abbé Maillet (he was only a priest at this time) was strongly anti-NAZI and a fervent French patriot. He refused to colaborate with the German occupation authorities. He took the whole choir from German occupied Paris to the free sector. Once there he worked on leaving France. He wanted to take the PCCB to the Uninted States or Canada. Travel directly to the Uninted States and Canada was impossible at this time. He managed to take the Chor to the French colony of Martinique in the Caribbean. The Choir began an extraordinary travel troughout the United States, Canada, and Latin America which lasted almost 2 years. The PCCB in 1940 was not a boarding organisation. The children lived at home and when making trips to perform they were taken in by local families in each city. That was a tradition so the boys lived in American and Latin American homes, picking up quite a bit of English and Spanish. They were hosted by families in each city where they gave concerts. The boys did notvsee their parents for 2 long years. The Choir finally returned to France (fall 1942). This was not an easy undertaking. At the time not only was the Battle of the Atlantic was underway and the North Atlantic teeming with U-boats. I'm not sure just how the Choir traveled back to France, probably through Portigal and Spain. They arrived home just before the Allies invaded French North Africa (November 1942). This caused the Germans to retaliate by occupying the unoccupied Vichy zone.

1943

The PCCB in 1943 during the German occupation toured Germany. The Allied bombing had begun, but it was still relatively safe to travel in Germany. The purpose was to give concerts to the French POWs and workers that had trasported to Germany for war work. The PCCB was the only French boychoir allowed to visit the POW camps. These events were very emotional experiences for the POWs and workers. The PCCB was the only French boychoir allowed to visit the POW camps. They were escorted by NAZI minders. There was no concerts for German audiences.

1947

Trips were limited by the oiybreak of World War II (1939) and the German invasion and occupation (1940). Travel became much more extensive since the War II and the advent of easy air travel. For many of the boys this is one of the most interesting aspects of participating in the choir. The choir after World War II traveled in their trade-mark blue sweater, shorts, and white kneesocks. They choristers have best hosted and met well known persons throughout the world during their various trips. There were many trips to perormances both within France and in neighboring countrie.

1950s

A former chorister tells us, "We receive a triumphal greeting in the United States and French Canada . We loved very much these countries. Personnaly I didn't go to América, because I was in Austria at this time, but my mates told me about their experiences. During performances one could see a lot of people with some tears. I guess, one can understand the raison, we, French boys, certainely for them we were representing children of their European origin."

1959

The PCCB is seen here with President Eisnhower sometime in the 1950s visiting the White House during one of their many trips to America (figure 1). I'm not sure, but it looks like about 1959. Eisenhower of course commanded the Allied force that cracked Hitler's vaunted Atlantic Wall on D-Day and went oin to liberate France during World War II (1944).

1986

The PCCB visited China in 1986, the first European boys choir to do so.

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Created: April 7, 2002
Last updated: 9:02 AM 3/21/2012