Westminster Cathedral : Martin Baker resigned

[cat]

I've wondered before how New College seemed to dispense with boarding so easily during Higginbottom's time. I suppose Oxford might be uniquely blessed with a high concentration of potential chorister parents within an achievable morning school bus/commute distance.

[Keraulophone]

I remember reading a quote from Stephen Cleobury just before he died where he said that King's was having difficulty getting the necessary commitment from parents who, like those at Westminster Cathedral, wish to see more of their children these days.

The boarding school factor is very important in all this. The trick is to be able train a first-rate boys choir (and/or girls' choir 8-13 or 13-18) without them having to board at the choir school or prep school. Where there has been a long tradition of boarding, there is an understandable inertia to continue the arrangements of old, and a growing fear that there would be increasing "difficulty getting the necessary commitment from parents who ... wish to see more of their children these days" (SJC). IMV, an 8yo child ought not to be separated from their parents, certainly on a termly basis. It is not so much that "parents wish to see more of their children these days", but that most children benefit in a multiplicity of ways from living at home with their parents, brothers and sisters as they develop from little 8yos through their peak treble years, to adolescence and the first fruits of their juvenile adult voice.

It is true that boarding school does suit some children but, having experienced ten years of it myself, a hundred miles from home, it seems clear to me that most parents are right in no longer being prepared to 'pay the price of boarding' to allow their children to sing in a (world famous) choir.

Playing Devil's Advocate, if DoMs in this country are able to train good treble lines within a day school context, why can't the same be done at KCC and other august instititions? Does Westminster Cathedral not have a large enough catchment area within which to recruit boys for its choir? Last time I looked it was a little bigger than Truro's! Should WCCS be more like Westminster Abbey Choir School, which exists exclusively to provide choristers for the Abbey; that would curtail the seemingly over-ambitious headmaster, who IMO has lost the plot, along with his governors and the Cardinal Archbishop

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/01/09/westminster-cathedral-choir-row-deepens-head-music-quits-boarding/

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[W.Kearns]

'IMV, an 8yo child ought not to be separated from their parents, certainly on a termly basis. It is not so much that "parents wish to see more of their children these days", but that most children benefit in a multiplicity of ways from living at home with their parents, brothers and sisters as they develop from little 8yos through their peak treble years, to adolescence and the first fruits of their juvenile adult voice.'.

Thanks for saying this, Keraulophone. It's a powerful point well made.

[ardcarp]

OTOH there is a trend towards less commitment from parents...or maybe it's just that they and their children are bombarded with so much variety of stuff these days.
A very good friend of mine is a Suzuki teacher. (She's a brilliant musician BTW.) The method relies on the involvement of parents, requiring their attendance at lessons; and they are 'trained' to help kids with their practice. She has noticed that there are less parents around willing to give this commitment. Whatever one may think of boarding (and it will suit some better than others) it can, in a benign and supportive environment, focus kids' activities whether it be music, sport, drama, art or whatever. The Suzuki teacher, incidentally, chooses to send her gifted daughter to Wells...not as a chorister but as one of the 'specialists' for which she has a generous bursary.

[Nevilevelis]

OTOH there is a trend towards less commitment from parents...or maybe it's just that they and their children are bombarded with so much variety of stuff these days.
A very good friend of mine is a Suzuki teacher. (She's a brilliant musician BTW.) The method relies on the involvement of parents, requiring their attendance at lessons; and they are 'trained' to help kids with their practice. She has noticed that there are less parents around willing to give this commitment. Whatever one may think of boarding (and it will suit some better than others) it can, in a benign and supportive environment, focus kids' activities whether it be music, sport, drama, art or whatever. The Suzuki teacher, incidentally, chooses to send her gifted daughter to Wells...not as a chorister but as one of the 'specialists' for which she has a generous bursary.

Check your inbox.

[Resurgam]

I've wondered before how New College seemed to dispense with boarding so easily during Higginbottom's time. I suppose Oxford might be uniquely blessed with a high concentration of potential chorister parents within an achievable morning school bus/commute distance.

It probably was/is OK for New College because they do not have the full range of cathedral - like services/special services. Practise time available is, no doubt, sufficient for all their needs including an extensive recording schedule and repertoire which,under EH at least, seemed to be the main reason for their existence.

The latter is where Westminster Cathedral choir is going to lose out with their new arrangements for choristers and obviously why the DoM feels obliged to resign.

[DracoM]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/21/westminster-cathedral-to-review-sacred-music-after-master-resigns

Wow!

[underthecountertenor]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...master-resigns

Wow!

Full statement here: https://rcdow.org.uk/news/strategic-...ter-cathedral/

[DracoM]

Looking at that panel, you could hardly get more 'in-house'. Nothing more than a re-statement likely to come out of all that, one might conjecture?

[Vox Humana]

Looking at that panel, you could hardly get more 'in-house'. Nothing more than a re-statement likely to come out of all that, one might conjecture?

Surely, if they were prepared to backtrack on the changes they have made they wouldn't have made them in the first place.

[DracoM]

Yes, but I just wonder if they really anticipated the repercussions of Baker's resignation and the media etc etc reactions?

[ardcarp]

At a quick glance the five members of the 'Startegic Panel' [doesn't that in itself sound like something from a dystopian novel?] include only 1 musician, Andrew Reid.

I also notice comments from interested persons are invited. Worth bothering?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Yes, but I just wonder if they really anticipated the repercussions of Baker's resignation and the media etc etc reactions?

I also notice comments from interested persons are invited. Worth bothering?

Possibly - certainly more likely to have an impact than not bothering at all. And they'll not be able to use a lack of public feedback as evidence of general support for their plans?

[DracoM]

Telling article in this month's Private Eye.

[Spitzflute]

Telling article in this month's Private Eye.

I read Private Eye this week and couldn't see anything about the Drome..