The Boy and Girl thing

[Keraulophone]

We're a singing family… born with the gift of a very good vocal 'instrument' and she was always able to produce a mellow middle-to-low register and also able to hit the heights...she fell in love with the Queen of the Night's aria[s]…
So nothing is set in stone and I guess all singers are different.

Your granddaughter had the same experience that my daughter has had and is having: Q of the N but also the mezzo Pie Jesu of Duruflé (upcoming Trinity CCC disc). The sop/mezzo decision hasn’t yet been made entering her twenties, and will have to wait until postgrad vocal studies. As you say ardcarp, all singers are different. My own top notes are diminishing, so the end approacheth!
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[ardcarp]

but also the mezzo Pie Jesu of Duruflé (upcoming Trinity CCC disc)

Look forward to getting that!

[Lizzie]

You have a great team there, Lizzie (as we have here ).

Totally agree. I must come down again now Canon Sue and Malcolm have moved...

[Benjamin]

There are obviously advantages and disadvantages to all the different models (age range, mixed or separate etc), and what works well in once place might not in another place.

More recognition of this, please! And more recognition that mixed trebles is a model that can—and in places does—work well, rather than an indictment of a music department’s ‘laziness’ or ‘thoughtlessness’ or evidence of sinister social engineering.

It’s been interesting to see how conversations about ‘the boy and girl thing’ have changed over the last year or so, as more—and arguably more of what one chorister called ‘Premier League choirs’—have responded to the moment not just by ceasing to exclude girls from choristerships, but by integrating them into mixed treble lines. Anecdotally, ‘the Salisbury model’ seems suddenly more acceptable to many than it did before the pandemic—even if it means an undesirable reduction in boys’ services—now that mixed trebles is a possibility that exists south of Birmingham.

[Keraulophone]

Anecdotally, ‘the Salisbury model’ seems suddenly more acceptable to many than it did before the pandemic—even if it means an undesirable reduction in boys’ services—now that mixed trebles is a possibility that exists south of Birmingham.

Don't you mean 'the St Mary's Edinburgh model' or similar? The 'model' at Salisbury from 1991 (incidentally, postdating two or three other cathedrals that had already included girl choristerts) "took the historic step of forming another ‘top line’, bringing young girl choristers into the Choral Foundation" (Salisbury Cathedral website).
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[Benjamin]

Don't you mean 'the St Mary's Edinburgh model' or similar?

No, I do mean 'the Salisbury model'.

I wasn't clear. What I meant was: if two or three years ago the 'boy and girl thing' could have been distilled to will this choir have girls, or will it not?, now it's, with just a few exceptions, will this choir's girls sing in a separate treble line or in a mixed one? Anecdotally, many who had expressed reservations about 'Salisbury model' front rows before this shift now actively defend them, since now the 'other' option is 'St Mary's'.

Neither of which I've heard in-person in ages: Things To Do.

[DracoM]

So, are boy-fronted choirs on the way out?
Over the next 5-10 yrs, I feel more and more certain that they will indeed disappear.

[cat]

It’s slightly unfortunate that Andrew Nethsingha is leaving St. John’s. Many regarded it as the finest choir in the country, and if AN had managed to successfully manage a transition to a mixed choir over several years whilst maintaining that distinction, then that would have sent a strong signal to any mixed-choir naysayers.

However a new DoM will of course impart their own sound upon the choir, so it will be hard to separate the reason for any changes. People might say that the choir is now very good but not quite as it was when AN was in charge, but will that be down to it being a mixed choir, or because the new DoM isn’t quite as good? Not an enviable task to follow in AN’s footsteps at such a time!

[Guest]

I can think of an obvious candidate for taking John's in the new direction.....

[mw963]

Why do so many people feel the need to talk in riddles on this forum?

[jonfan]

Why do so many people feel the need to talk in riddles on this forum?

Agree! I thought it was just me.

[Guest]

Why do so many people feel the need to talk in riddles on this forum?

Wouldn't be a big move in terms of distance.....slightly over 1/2 mile perhaps?

[cat]

Wouldn't be a big move in terms of distance.....slightly over 1/2 mile perhaps?

That makes it very clear - you must mean Graham Walker of Emmanuel College, although he would have only been there three months

[Guest]

That makes it very clear - you must mean Graham Walker of Emmanuel College, although he would have only been there three months

I was actually thinking of somewhere more due south than Emmanuel (And a bit further - I would say Emmanuel is only about 1/4 mile as the crow flies.....)

[NorfolkDavid]

I was actually thinking of somewhere more due south than Emmanuel (And a bit further - I would say Emmanuel is only about 1/4 mile as the crow flies.....)

Never understand why people have to post these sorts of comments either, but rising to your bait slightly I assume you mean Pembroke?

I can’t see why Ms Lapwood would want to move. A thoroughly excellent all round musician, but who does so much beyond the organ loft I would have thought that daily services would be rather restricting...