Wells Cathedral school - is being a chorister fun?

[PickledCoelacanth]

My Dd (8) loves singing (and all things performance-based) and we've been considering putting her forward to audition for Wells Cathedral School as a chorister. Super early days atm as we obviously don't know if she would even get in and would need a bursary to afford it. However, before we start the process I wondered if anyone has children who have been choristers there and whether they enjoyed it? I'm really keen that she continues to love music, rather than starts seeing it as a chore. How did your DCs find it?

I was a chorister for 5 years, also went to the music school attached to the cathedral school and boarded. I can honestly say it was the best thing I have ever done and I would give anything to do it all over again even though I’m 26!! I still sing in choirs and love it and my very best friend is one I made whilst a chorister. It truly is a bloody amazing opportunity so please strongly consider it xxx

Forgot to add, in my 5 years I sang for the royal family, high profile weddings, recorded a CD with NAXOS and did lots of radio/tv broadcasts. It gave me a deep rooted sense of confidence which has stayed with me into adulthood.

Aw thank you for replying! So glad to hear you had such a wonderful time!

I have an adult family member who is a chorister, and also was as a child. He would ask what happens if/when the child ages out of the chorister programme - do they get to stay in private/are the fees still reduced/is there a good secondary to move to at all. (Assuming you can't otherwise afford private.)

Mine did it, although didn't go to a cathedral school, and in spite of having done many amazing things 20 years on, they still say it was the best thing they did. Big commitment.

NightmareLoon some discount continues based on the number of years in the choir. And hopefully our careers will have progressed but you can never be sure. The aim would be to keep her there. If not, she would join her friends from the village in the local secondary school.

Moominmamacat that's good to know. I appreciate it's a lot of commitment -fine for us but possibly a big ask for her!

Potentially a stupid question but is your dd interested in choral music/hymns/spending a lot of time in cathedral Inc Christmas day? Not sure about Wells but the choristers I knew had a pretty strict regime and not sure there would be room for other, less religious, singing/performing.

My daughter was - she loved it and is always finding ways to do extremely traditional Anglican choral singing as a hobby and she’s a very cool teen now . I think 5 years is the absolutely max that I would want to do all the holidays there though (she did 4). To sing for royalty, on the radio and tv live, go on tours, work with incredible adult musicians and perform almost daily from the age of 9 is absolutely character building and the camaraderie between the kids is wonderful.

One boarding cathedral chorister, one day chapel chorister. Both ended up on scholarship/bursary combos at boarding senior schools, and have continued to sing and make music. A wonderful opportunity for the right child. Definitely try to expose them to the environment before making any commitments to the path!

Good luck to her, and you, finding out if this is the path for her.

We thought about Wells for our eldest, but didn't go to visit in the end as it is a couple of hours from home, and got into a closer option on the second attempt. If boarding then 1-1.5 hours (2-3 hours return trip for you!) seems to be an optimal limit though I know families who travelled further. From your comments I'm guessing you are more local to Wells though. Do ask them if they can prep choristers for entry to other schools at 13+.

@PickledCoelacanth
I have sent you a PM

If it is your family’s religious beliefs then yes why not?

otherwise it is a lot of time singing and listening to music that might not hold any meaning for her and you

if she loves music and singing there are so many ways to explore that in the uk

Alexander Armstrong writes evocatively about his time as a chorister www.choralevensong.org/uk/alexander-armstrong-privilege-of-choristership.php

I don’t think your religious beliefs make the slightest difference. I’m an atheist and spent years at Oxford singing Anglican liturgical music.

I no more needed to believe in any flavour of Christian deity than I need to believe I’m a consumptive French courtesan when singing opera.

But why on Earth would you spend all that time in a place of worship if it isn’t meaningful to you?

not really comparable to performing a fictional role in an opera or musical 🙄

For choristers, it’s a good musical education, and often a passport to a heavily-discounted academic education at a highly-regarded school? For adults, unless they are believers, it’s pretty similar to singing ‘fiction’. For me, the Christian deity is a fiction that happens to have produced some magnificent music. Singing evensong in a college chapel is much the same as singing any other kind of choral music in any other venue, theatre, concert hall.

Two friends Childrens did this as part of their scholarships, it does take slot of commitment and they had to attend services such as Christmas Eve and Day and other services, Easter etc, weekly attendance and more so before events, it did impact their family time a lot but they seemed to enjoy it. (Not at Wells - another Cathedral city with private school attached)

I wasn't but spent a lot of time in Cathedrals and met my future husband in one (he was an assistant organist working with choir boys) and we know lots from other Cathedrals. I sing every day and enjoy a lot of choral music.

Most of the choristers we have known love it. It is however a big family commitment - eg you won't have a Christmas or Easter free and it will affect things like when you are free for family holidays etc so do decide if as a family you want that.

Even as the wife of an organist we never could have a normal Christmas - so I would be up after working to end of day on 24 Dec as a lawyer then wrapping up presents along as the children's father was out at mid night mass and the in the morning out he was again to play for the main services on 25th and only after that could a family Christmas begin. Never mind Easter week which is wonderful with all kinds of services and singing but can be a huge commitment.

Thanks all. It's really helpful to hear your insights.

But why on Earth would you spend all that time in a place of worship if it isn’t meaningful to you? Not really comparable to performing a fictional role in an opera or musical.

I'd say to the OP that if she feels uncomfortable with organised religion, there will be more suitable activities. As a chorister, you spent a significant part of your childhood singing liturgical music and as a parent sitting trough many long services to support your dc. You'd have to love this to put up with it, not necessarily be deeply religious, but enjoy Christian worship, otherwise I will be a long hard slog for all of you.

I couldn’t disagree more with the poster saying that you need to be invested in the religion or worship. The music is transcendent on its own and there really is no comparable singing/ musical training at this age in any other setting. Whether you see that as necessary or valuable is another question but it suits a certain sort of child perfectly.

That's interesting, I agree that the music is transcendent. What kind of child or personality would be suited @SwayingInTime ?🌻

I think I phrased that wrongly - not a certain type of child but it seems to suit the ones that like it! My daughter thrived on the long, very filled hours, the experience of being within the ensemble singing (she loves playing orchestra too, any solo work is a means to an end only) and the perfectionism of the process. Also the friendship of like minded souls.

Not a specific type of child I mean.

2 of mine were cathedral choristers. DH and I met in a cathedral choir, as did many of our friends! We are not a religious family, but the music is sublime. For the DCs, it is a way of life, they made great friends, many fantastic experiences (eg the singing for royalty, the foreign tours) and for many it's the start of a lifelong hobby or even career. Mine weren't at a choir school though and were 'only' there 4 days a week, so there was still time for other things. They each did it for 5 years, but knew they could stop whenever they want. DD stopped in lockdown, but now misses it. Many of my current friends met as choristers and we still sing together in our 50s (I didn't meet them till I was 18, but have been going strong since then!).

If your DD will enjoy the music, then it's a fantastic musical education, teaches responsibility with structure and routine. I'm not sure there is a 'type' of child that it will particularly suit (apart from needing to enjoy the singing) as there were all sorts in our choir. Although I do like the PPs comment about friendship of like-minded souls.