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

[Shapeshifter5]

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

@ShortOfShorts Yes -- in fact our cathedral was a large Parish Church until Victorian times and the feel is still a bit less formal. It uses medals for Head and Deputies (Dec and Can) and also for "Senior" (eligible for promotion to Deputy when one leaves) rather than the RSCM scheme, so I assumed the same as you.

I saw that too - pesky red lampshade, even though small, obscured his face altogether. I wanted the camera to move along a little.

Also the very animated boy with auburn hair, first left in the row. Super.

He will probably grow up to like one of the older choristers at another of the services, who had THE most expressive face, and eyes. He was filmed front and centre a couple of times.

They were fabulous.

My DS and DD were both choristers at a cathedral where they had full parity between the boy and girl lines. They did the same number of services, practices, tours etc and had the same fee discount at the attached prep school. An amazing experience for them and us. They performed to a professional standard day in and day out, just like those choristers today. Fabulous.

I think St George's Chapel have introduced girls in the last few weeks.

I noticed a young woman singing among the men in the second row. Well done her!

I’ll second that

Yes spotted her too in Windsor!

During the Kontakian for the dead, did anyone notice the camera particularly pick out the three men who sang it at Prince Phillip's funeral. (Well the BBC did any way)

I was a Head Chorister in the first choir in the diocese to admit girls, from 1967-75.
Looking back it's hard work. Matins, Evensong, then 2 practices a week and a family communion once a month. Weddings on a Saturday, mainly in summer.

The hardest thing I ever did, at just 12, was to sing at my best friend's funeral, without letting slip a single tear. A few were shed with another of her friends in the vestry afterwards. The support of all the choirmen helped me to get through it.

We were one of the first RSCM-affiliated choirs in the diocese, but relegated to the back at the annual festivals. For years, reading the Court page, I knew all the anthems to be sung in cathedrals the next day. Our organist's predecessor was a friend of Sir John Stainer, and we had a stock of his pre-publication anthems

According to the RSCM, the function of the choir is to lead in the saying and the singing of what used to be called the Divine Rite. We did, and took great pride in doing it to the best of our ability.

Even the RC Bishop used to angle for an invite to preach at our big services - Lifeboat Sunday, Easter, Remembrance Sunday etc.

I'd wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone

Agreed @newtb

I was a founder member of one of the first girls choirs when they started becoming more common in the 1990s. It was very progressive back then! It was such a fantastic musical education and I have many fond memories, and lifelong friends. Neither of my DC are interested 😥 although looking back I think that being a choir parent must be a huge commitment.

My nephew was a chorister at St Paul's. It was an incredible experience for him, and for the whole family. It takes a particular kind of child - obviously they need to show some innate musicality but also need to be very mature and receptive to instruction. It's a huge commitment for them and their family - they board from 7 or 8 and give up weekends, Christmases etc. But the musical education they get is amazing, as is the self-control they learn and the opportunities to travel and have amazing experiences. It's a unique life for sure!

Another vote for more girls, in the back row singing alto as well. In such a patriarchal book as the bible, one of the few voices given to a woman (the magnificat) is then sung by men up and down the country every day at Evensong. Enraging.

My best guess about the lone woman singing was that she was an alto Lay Clerk. Possibly also the Assistant Organist (who had a female name). I agree, no reason not have female altos (and tenors!).

I watched with my chorister dds and they were disappointed that we only saw one woman singing. I looked it up, St George’s Chapel are now admitting girl choristers (as of this September) but they do it via the choir school so it’ll be a while until they have half and half. It’s not like they’re auditioning older girls, just waiting for the girl probationers to work through.

It sounds like an amazing opportunity for the right child. I can only imagine how organised the family would need to be to juggle the academics, practices & events.

I'd much rather see a separate provision for girl's choirs than just making the choirs mixed sex. If anyone has the cash to endow a girl's choir school, that might be the way to go.

But I thought they did really well in any case.

Yes, it does take loads of commitment from the choir parents too! Especially if not an actual boarding choir school...

DS attended our local independent grammar which supplied 99% of the cathedral choristers. There was no reduction in school fees for choristers who were auditioned at the age of seven or thereabouts.

They began to introduce girls to the choir in around 2004, iirc (although at that point they were a separate choir to the boys). This was a co-ed day school so the choristers were not perpetually on site but had to be ferried in to the cathedral by the parents for practice at 8am every weekday morning and prior to the two services on Sundays. After school on Tuesdays and Fridays there was a further practice ahead of evensong. On those nights the parents took it in tuns via a rota to provide a meal for all (approx 20) boys in the cathedral house. Between practice and tea (ahead of evensong) the boys were expected to do homework and I was one of a few parents who oversaw this on a regular basis.

The choir also toured many countries and on a couple of occasions DH and I went along as helpers.

We didn't get much opportunity to do stuff as a family over those years as DH worked many Saturdays too back then 🙄 but I would agree that it did wonders for DS's sense of discipline and independence especially once he became a senior (and eventually head) chorister, setting an example to the younger boys etc.

The choristers were provided with free music lessons in an instrument of their choice and were paid a fee for their singing which went directly into a bank account. They also sang at weddings and funeral, other special services including ship launches etc.

DS still has his Maundy money from when he met HM the Queen with his fellow choristers, which was a very special day for those of us parents that were able to attend too.

@LibertyLily that's wonderful that it paid off for your ds & he learned some important skills along the way.

Fascinating stories from former choristers/chorister parents. I always had a pipe dream that my son would be interested, as he had a lovely singing voice and would have looked angelic in a surplice <shallow>, but fortunately or otherwise, no interest whatsoever in singing in a choir!

Can anyone explain whether there really is a difference between girls' voices and boys' voices, before puberty?

Salisbury Cathedral has a girls' choir

I did my daughter’s art homework for her for the same reason once and the poor teacher was so confused by the standard drop afterwards. I should have toned it down a bit!

arrgh, was meant to be a quote there!

it really does become like water of a ducks back to them after a year or so. My daughter would have been much more intimidated by an especially complex solo at an evensong attended by 4 people than a televised performance. She’d opened live broadcasts on the radio aged 10 and performed for royalty but the opinions of the choirmaster, fellow choristers and (best of all) a compliment from a lay clerk were the main reward.