Wednesday night the Washington National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW, will be filled with the voices of 300 students from nine different DC public, charter and independent high schools as they participate in the 8th annual CELEBRATE YOUTH! concert.

Washington's Cathedral Choral Society brings students together to rehearse with an orchestra and socialize during a day-long event that culminates in a free public concert, scheduled for 7 p.m.

The festival director is Benjamin Hutto who also serves as the director of performing arts at St. Albans and National Cathedral Schools.

The video above explains the importance of the Cathedral Choral Society's CELEBRATE YOUTH! concerts and includes recordings of previous youth performances.

The participating schools in this year's event are:

• Georgetown Visitation
• St. Albans
• National Cathedral
• Gonzaga College High
• St. Anselm's Abbey
• School Without Walls Public HS
• Booker T. Washington Public Charter School
• Latin Public Charter School
• Washington Youth Choir (a community group based at Eastern High School)

Patch will have a story and photos after the event. Stay tuned!