STANDARDS of singing across the nation’s cathedral and collegiate choirs are generally as high as they’ve ever been, with girl choristers now offering a welcome dimension. Yet these establishments no longer take for granted that queues of prospective choristers will snake back from their doors. In terms of raw numbers, the presence of girls has boosted total chorister numbers to perhaps record levels, but this hides a concerning trend in recruitment. The word from one cathedral is that recently only two boys applied to be auditioned for six places on offer and a mere eight girls for five places.
‘It’s a real issue generally,’ says Clive Marriott, chairman of the Choir Schools Association (CSA) and headmaster of Salisbury Cathedral School. ‘Choir schools are having to be more agile. The CSA is currently keen to work on a national campaign to promote choristerships.’
King’s College, Cambridge hasn’t been immune from the challenges, admits Yvette Day, head of King’s College School. ‘One factor for many establishments is the decline of parish church choirs across the country. They used to play a vital role. When it was clear a child was talented, somebody would likely have said: “Why don’t you try for a choristership at a cathedral?” Things have moved on.’
Adrian Partington, director of music at Gloucester Cathedral, also suggests the situation has deteriorated, ‘because in many schools not enough emphasis is placed on the benefits of music. Fewer children are learning an instrument. Parents tend to be always in a rush—and, unless the child is boarding at a choir school, the demands of ferrying him or her to practices and services are very real’.
Denne historien er fra February 22, 2023-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra February 22, 2023-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
