BOYS CHOIR INCONSISTENT.

Byline: David Mermelstein Special to the Daily News

It's hardly uncommon for expectations to exceed reality in the concert hall, and so it was with the Boys Choir of Harlem's ``A Christmas Offering'' at Royce Hall on Saturday. To be sure, this famed choir managed some fine singing, but only well into the program and not consistently.

Under Walter J. Turnbull's longstanding leadership, the choir has certainly served a purpose beyond music. It has allowed underprivileged youngsters access to a wide variety of cultural riches, and these students, in turn, have returned the favor. That said, Turnbull may wish to rethink his programming, as his selections zigzagged both in terms of quality and genre. The imperfectly titled program was a hodgepodge of Christmas music, classical fare, spirituals and show tunes.

The choristers, nearly all teen-agers (save a few adult basses), arrived on stage in English-style red robes with high white colors. Their deportment was excellent; their singing, alas, wasn't. A lack of unity marked by uncoordinated attacks marred the carols and, more seriously, Schubert's Mass in G (D. 167), which was further undermined by some wayward soloists.

With the spirituals (and a clothing change from robes to smart blazers) came relief. Not all five items were equally good, but ``Mary Was the Queen of Galilee,'' ``Children, Go Where I Send Thee'' and ``Go Tell It on the Mountain'' found the chorus tightly woven, unforced in expression, well balanced and rhythmically flexible. A Broadway medley, though, brought problems. The choir, now dancing as well as singing, tried too hard to impress with familiar material, including ``Lullaby of Broadway,'' ``Strike Up the Band'' and two songs from ``Guys and Dolls.'' Overproduced and under-rehearsed, the material seemed unworthy of these talented singers.

More Christmas tunes found the boys on surer ground, though their heavily choreographed hand movements proved distracting. The raucous ``We Are Heroes'' and a number from ``Gumboots'' introduced an incongruous, though not unwelcome, black-pride aspect to the program. In these numbers, there was no questioning the sincerity of feeling. The program closed on a gospel note, with the choir especially fine in ``Hark, the Herald Angels Sing'' and something called ``Kings Highway Medley.'' At the set's conclusion, no encores were offered, as the boys raced to the auditorium's lobby to greet departing patrons and offer CDs for sale.

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The Boys Choir of Harlem performed a selection of classical music, show tunes and Christmas songs at UCLA's Royce Hall.