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Original poster

Think the choristers need their own appreciation thread, they were fabulous.

47 replies

Shapeshifter5 · 19/09/2022 14:22

DH & I were so impressed by these youngsters, so young & talented under such scrutiny.
Where did they come from & how were they chosen?

OP posts:
Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 19/09/2022 14:24

They were, weren't they. I assumed it was Westminster Abbey choir. The boys in the red livery must be from another choir.

Faircastle · 19/09/2022 14:24

Westminster Abbey Choir School (and City of London School for the ones from St James Palace Chapel Choir).

Audition, when they are 7 or 8.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 19/09/2022 14:27

BBC says choir of the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace.

Theredjellybean · 19/09/2022 14:32

oh i was thinking same thing, especially with the fawning remarks about the young royals being so amazingly well behaved etc...when we have these very young boys performing so beautifully under so much pressure .
They were just amazing.
I know they do perform at services and events etc but nothing could prepare you to sing at the state funeral of the Queen , watched by millions ..hope their parents are proud.

toomuchlaundry · 19/09/2022 14:34

They were amazing

Roystonv · 19/09/2022 14:35

The quality of singing was excellent but both Dh and I thought the music/songs rather strident apart from the hymns.

ShamedBySiri · 19/09/2022 14:36

Absolutely wonderful, what an experience for them, they are so professional, so young and sang beautifully. It reduced me to tears several times.

My DD1 was a Cathedral Chorister. It's a wonderful experience, quite hard work for the parents. She sang at Sr Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, The House of Lords, she sang for The Prince of Wales (now The King) and at a memorial service for a close friend of William and Harry who were both there. She also sang at some funerals, and recalled today how hard it was to sing at the funeral if one of her teachers who had died of breast cancer and at the funeral of a 15 year old ex pupil who had died of leukaemia.

But as a member of the Girls Choir they always came second to the Boys Choir. I don't think she ever sang at Remembrance Sunday. The Boys always did that.

And parents don't generally get any preferential treatment despite the hard work they do behind the scenes supporting their children. It's quite likely that the Choir parents today won't have had seats in the congregation. Maybe they gathered to watch together in a back room of the choir school somewhere.

Original poster
Shapeshifter5 · 19/09/2022 14:36

What memories the children will have in years to come. So talented & dignified for kids so young. They did their country proud & I'm sure their parents are ridiculously proud also.

OP posts:
Original poster
Shapeshifter5 · 19/09/2022 14:38

That's a very interesting insight, your daughter must be so talented. I was wondering why there was no girl choristers today expecially for the queen. However the boys were fantastic, so focused & professional.

OP posts:
PuttingDownRoots · 19/09/2022 14:39

I hope they get a well earned break the next few days, they must have been going full pelt the last week in rehearsals etc.

ShamedBySiri · 19/09/2022 14:41

They will be beside themselves with pride OP. And parents of girl choristers will be muttering about the patriarchy and lack of girl choristers at these big occasions!

Time to campaign for a girls choir at the Coronation...

ShamedBySiri · 19/09/2022 14:43

I expect they will be back to school tomorrow @PuttingDownRoots , singing Evensong and preparing for Sunday services.

Bodice · 19/09/2022 14:45

Don’t agree with only having boy choristers though. It’s about time that changed

ShamedBySiri · 19/09/2022 14:46

DD was so exhausted one time after much rehearsing and some evening concerts that I made an exception and did her English homework for her so she could have an early night. I thought I had done it rather well but got a C+ Confused and was so disgruntled I never did that again. Though I console myself with the thought that her teacher had identified me as the author and marked me accordingly. That must be the explanation. Grin

Original poster
Shapeshifter5 · 19/09/2022 14:47

ShamedBySiri · 19/09/2022 14:41

They will be beside themselves with pride OP. And parents of girl choristers will be muttering about the patriarchy and lack of girl choristers at these big occasions!

Time to campaign for a girls choir at the Coronation...

I know it's tradition but it would have been nice for the girl choristers & soloists to be included especially on this huge stage. This is absolutely not to take away from the wonderful boys today but surely there's room for the girls too?

OP posts:
QueueEtwo · 19/09/2022 14:47

I've been lucky enough to go to Westminster Abbey for the Battle of Britain Service and the sound of the choir is the most amazing think I have ever heard!

picklemewalnuts · 19/09/2022 14:49

There was a shot of the choristers where two boys were centred - proud mum moment, except one of them was completely obscured by a lampshade! aim sure his mum was frothing with disappointment!

ShamedBySiri · 19/09/2022 14:50

Agreed @Bodice ! Now that we will have a King for many years, with the patriarchy literally in charge, we definitely need to see more more female presence at these events!

ShamedBySiri · 19/09/2022 14:58

Also a shout out to the military band accompanying the procession. The Pipers and brass players are incredible, keeping going so perfectly for so long all while marching along. DD commented how dry their mouths must be! And I did see a brief moment as they changed offer the music cards, which they must have done multiple times and managed not to drop one as they went along. So much perfection on display throughout.

Toddlerteaplease · 19/09/2022 15:02

Cathedral and collage choirs are so underrated. If you go into any cathedral that does choral evensong, you will hear this in a daily basis. They are professionals in a professional job. It's been going on for Centuries!

LibertyLily · 19/09/2022 15:05

DS was a cathedral chorister (outside of London) for seven years and, amongst other places, sung at Westminster Abbey, The Guards Chapel and a Maundy service as well as singing in front of Prince Andrew, Princess Alexandra and various other members of the Royal family. His choir was in residence at Westminster Abbey the week before Diana, Princess of Wales died and we were there for the final evensong to support the boys. DS was at that point the youngest chorister (aged 7) and we were so incredibly proud - so I can imagine how the parents of the boys having the honour of singing at HM's funeral must have felt!

Toddlerteaplease · 19/09/2022 15:06

It is a shame that the London choirs are being so slow at introducing girls though. I think it may be to do with the requirement to board. I believe that the choir schools are exclusively for the choristers, rather than having the rest of the school as well. Naming it tricky for girls to board.

savehannah · 19/09/2022 15:13

Our local cathedral main choir is boys only, the audition at the end of year 2 and if they get in they have compulsory boarding from year 3 in "choir house" at the private secondary school linked with the cathedral. They have choir practice before school every day. They only get to come home for tea on Sunday afternoons after services are done, and back in for evensong. They also have to sing on Christmas Day and get to go home in the evening. It's super prestigious but you basically give up your child from age 7-13 (or whenever their voice breaks). Personally I couldn't do it.

There is a girls choir but it's completely different, no boarding involved, it's much more like a normal extracurricular activity and is only open to girls aged 11 plus. Still super competitive to get into and you have to audition. But much less high profile than the boys choir.

PhotoDad · 19/09/2022 15:24

The choir today was amazing.

My DS joined our local cathedral choir at age 9 and was there until 13 when voice started to break, reaching "second in command." Because it's a small cathedral, there isn't an attached school; his 7 hours a week involved a trek across town after school or on Sunday mornings. Being provincial, the girls'/womens' choir often joined with the boys'/mens', frowned on in London. He still sings evensong once a week with a special "older boys'" choir -- the music director thinks that we're the only cathedral which has that! Cathedrals tend to pay choristers, and put them through music grades (singing and theory).

Moral of the story; if your DC is at all musical, and is 7-10, see what your local cathedral has to offer (especially if it's not attached to a school).

ShortOfShorts · 19/09/2022 15:31

Or look at your local churches for one with a with robed choirs - they tend to be less time commitment, definitely not boarding, join at any age with just a basic audition and much more open to girls / female altos.

My dds are both choristers, both have done / are doing the RSCM medals and they both love it. It’s just our nearest church, but they invest in their choristers - pocket money, free singing lessons, free music theory lessons.

They tried to identify the medals the choristers were wearing - not the standard RSCM apparently. Their best guess was Head Chorister and Deputy Head Chorister (one for Dec, one for Can).