page_title: American Boychoir School
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: American Boychoir School / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Albemarle, the 1917 estate of the pharmaceutical magnate Gerard B. Lambert, at 19 Lambert Drive in Princeton, New Jersey. Long the home of the American Boychoir School, now home to the Princeton International School of Mathematics and Science.
context_page_description: The American Boychoir School was a boarding/day middle school located in Princeton, New Jersey, and the home of the American Boychoir. The school originated as the Columbus Boychoir in Columbus, Ohio. In 1950, the school relocated after receiving property in Princeton, New Jersey from the Lambert estate. The relocated school was renamed the American Boychoir School. It remained in this location until the sale of Albemarle in 2012. The school served boys in grades 4–8, many of whom came from across the United States and from many countries. It was one of only two boychoir boarding schools in the United States, the other being Saint Thomas Choir School in New York City. The school provided opportunity to boys from across the world to experience the rich world of music. The Boychoir toured across the contiguous United States, allowing students to gain diverse cultural perspective while performing at the professional level. The American Boychoir performed with numerous orchestras, frequently including the New York Philharmonic as well as the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra.
context_section_description: The choir and school were founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1937, by Herbert Huffman who believed that "the experience of performing the great choral literature – and performing it at the highest professional levels – could have a profound effect on the academic, social and moral development of boys". Founded as the Columbus Boychoir, the group moved to Princeton in 1950. It changed its name to the American Boychoir in 1980.
  Former choir directors at the choir school include Herbert Huffman (founder), Donald Bryant, Robert W. Haley, Howard Jewell, Donald G. Hanson, John Kuzma, Jim Litton, Craig Denison, Wallace Hornady and Nathan Wadley. The choir recorded for RCA Victor during Herbert Huffman's tenure before moving to the Decca Label during the Donald Bryant years, where the choir released multiple LP's including one with Bing Crosby. Later, the boychoir would release CDs on its own Albermarle Records label. (see complete Discography below).
  From 1985 to 2001, the boychoir was conducted by James Litton, an expert on children's choral techniques and vocal production. Regarded as one of America's prominent choral conductors, Litton led the boychoir in more than 2,000 concerts in 49 states and 12 nations. Litton also introduced the changing voice and established SATB sections in the choir. He helped recognize that all boys should continue singing regardless of their voice change.
  In 2012, the choir's longtime home, Albermarle in Princeton, was sold under the presidency of Robert Rund and the choir moved to the Princeton Center for the Arts & Education (formerly St. Joseph's Seminary) for the 2013 and 2014 school years.
  On April 10, 2015, the school filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy stating it needed $350,000 to finish the school year and $3 million to come out of bankruptcy and open for the next academic year.  On April 14, 2015, the school announced it would end the school year early, on May 17, instead of reaching the normal time for graduation, the second week of June.
  The school reopened on September 1, 2015, and operated during the 2015-16 school year while working to satisfy its financial obligations and emerge from the Chapter 11 bankruptcy stable and able to move forward successfully. School operations were moved to the campus of Rambling Pines Summer Camp, site of the former Princeton Latin Academy. Rambling Pines provided classroom and office space, gymnasium space, and almost 200 acres of playing fields.
  The American Boychoir School closed on August 15, 2017. [1]
caption: Albemarle, the 1917 estate of pharmaceutical magnate Gerard Lambert, home to the school from 1952–2012[9]
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