Many of the UK’s cathedrals have their own schools in which boys and sometimes girls are trained as soprano/treble choristers. They are called the ‘front row’ since that is their position in the choir stalls, with the adult altos, tenors and basses behind them. Parish churches, by contrast, rely on volunteers and ladies may take the place of pre-teens for the soaring high notes. Accompanied by an organ, the choir is usually arrayed at right angles to the congregation on both sides of the chancel area. It is by the choir’s lead that people learn hymnal tunes.
This tradition began in the monasteries and continued in spite of religious upheavals. The acoustics of a building open to the rafters produces a sound that is other-worldly and it is no wonder that thousands of church choirs exist throughout Britain.
Child choristers sometimes go on to have singing careers. Those enrolled at cathedral schools are, in effect, already professional in that they perform or rehearse every day and their school fees are subsidised. The self-discipline and confidence that they learn help them in a variety of careers. For example, Sir Alastair Cook, England cricket captain, was a chorister at St. Paul’s Cathedral!
(Top image: Fledermauskind at Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0)
